The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1882-01-06
RED PAINT.

Il
circles about my blue eyes, the whites
Of which complete the patriotic trinity OF
red, white and blue-those red rings, OF
whose origin have been so often vexed
with questions-I will tell story
which may save further inquiry. | am
enabled to do SO by memory Of What my
father used to say, and by reference to
notes in diary which he kept for many
years.
Some time before / dawned upon this
world, and while my spirit was probably
walking with the angels with whom
kept company, my dear mother, tired OF
the monotony of her life at our family
seat inna the country, repaired alone to
the city to regale herself with a sight OF
novelties for o month. Ny mother sup
posed that father would soon follow and
reioin her but in. this, she was mis-
taken he gave the housemaid q
months vacation, and was now left en-
tirely alone, sleeping at the house and
| getting his meals for himself, rather
than going to the city or the nearest
tavern. He was an odd man, my father
was, as Ishall presently show. Being
lonesome, he thought he would fix up
things about the house to while away
time and surprise my mother by the
| improvements when she returned at the
expiration of the month.
| "I think / will do little painting up,
in the first place." thought my father.
q Paint Is not only an ornament, but 1t
/ preserves things, The kitchen hoor
| needs painting. The old color, what
remains of it, is yellow; bnt l am not
partial to yellow, and beside, want
new color, for novelty. What color
would probably most charm my wife? l
have not much taste myself, but have
heard people praise red very highly.
Sunrises, and sunsets, and comets, are
often approved of by good judges, Tor
being red, Red Is said to be the most
snowy and effective military and dramat-
ic color. l have seen some very hand
Il some red flags at auction and railroad
stations. Red lips and cheeks are al
! wnys in the fashion. Then there is the
red. red rose; and then there is my rec
| handkerchief, the handsomest and larg
EST II have got. will paint the hoo
red, and, now that reflect upon th'
supreme beauty Of red, will bul
enough, and o'doubt shall find goo
So my father went and bought q grea
/ quantity OF red paint, and had it mike
and sent with brushes to the house.
! al, Will do all the painting mysel
that, i care to have dene," thought M
/ father, when the bloody fluid blushe
4 beneath his smiling eyes. /" It will +
: a light. pleasing exercise, and my Wi
will be more delighted when she fine
that i have done all the ornamentatio
: without help. How lovely that re
e looksl 1t appears to me that All q
. white paint on the other woodwork
Il the kitchen looks as dingy now as u
ii | floor. What q capital idea it would
II to paint IL all red, now that ] happt
Z, TO have so much of it ! Will do
v The kitchen, all OF that color, Will
ly the handsomest room in the house. b
n the main thing is the floor"
er So nv ardent father hastily beg
In and painted the floor first, forgettil
h. that Il would cause him to wait until
n was dry, OF make tracks over it, or
cd inconvenient planks, il he painted
-st the rest Of the kitchen. He saw 7
,~ mistake he had made when he began
paint the doors. The fresh paint
~ the floor stuck TO his soles, and
~ marks Of his flaming footsteps, !
an those OF some destroying angel
from home. were everywhere and Q
a fused. They did some little damagt
nv the carpets in other rooms, and
,ns confused him some; but my father
"a not, q man TO stand for tribes, 9
Ia knowing that he could paint the 4
rsr over again. he went on with the ot
,sf work. He had the tools, material,
~, dustry and ambition to please,
nj these were something Tor an amateur
III So, sticking as he went. my iat
.ssd IN covered all the doors with flaming 2
80 inside and out, his pleasure increal
with the alteration he caused and 7
aba proceeded to make his mark on all
stle remaining woodwork, including the
IN dow frames, sills and sashes, shut
~ ~. closet shelves, thresholds, the mar
s,as piece and sink and then, thought
Old ssWby not the walls, TO complete
Nth thing and make it uniform 4, An' n.
cent the walls stood up and received
- share; and then, IS the hearth aud !