The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-01-17
ANDERSON. c.. THURSDAY MORNING. JANUARY r. 1884,

ANDEhOON
BILL ARP.
His Good Breakfast-Helping his Wife to
Clean Up.
Southern Cultiuator and Di1ie Farmer.
Mrs. Arp had an uncommon good
breakfast this morning. There was a
dish of baked eggs at my plate, which
she knows l am fond OF: While the
house was being cleaned up 1 noticed that
the beds were not touched, and 80 l told
her I would help but she said no she
wanted them taken out on the piazzo to
sun, and so took 'em out, and then she
asked me to take out the bedsteads and
the bureau and the chairs and the sewing
machine and ALL as she wanted to clean
up a little. Cleaning up little is the
old, old story at my house. When l got
through sat down on the front ,piazzo
with my pipe to ruminate little and
rest from my arduous labors. Pretty
soon she brought me broom and rake
and twine string, and asked me to tie
the broom. handle onto the rake for she
wanted to sweep down the cob-webs from
the walls. I understood all that, and 80
tied it on and swept 'em all down my
self and retired to the piazzo as usual.
About the time I had my feet stuck on
the banisters, she brought out hammer
and paper of carpet tacks and laid 'em
down on the table beside me and slniled.
These movements reminded me of the
carpet that she had heen threatening to
put down in the big family room for Q
month, and if there is any household
work that do despise to do it is putting
down carpet. can't double up and
twist around like 1 used to. l gave an
involuntary groan and a grunt or two
and went to work. A little darkey had
already brought up passel of hay from
the barn, and SO we picked it all over
and got out all the little weeds and
coarser pieces and spread it nicely upon
the floor, and then / unrolled the carpet
from the middle each way and went to
work on one side mailing it. 1t had to
be stretched and fitted all around and
the edge on the hearth was the hardest
of all, for Mrs. Arp watched every tack
and if it was a fraction of an inch out of
line she saw it and I had to keep pulling
and turning under the edges, and when !
was on it couldn't pull it and | couldn't
get off it for the wall, and 80 it was get
up and get down, and work sideways and
crossways, and all sorts of ways, and l
mashed my fingers and cramped my
knees and twisted off my suspender but.
tons, but finally the work was done to
her satisfaction sorter, and l managed to
get up and stand up and be thankful to
the Lord for his mercies. By the time
we got all the furniture set back again
and the beds made up the day was half
gone and the children came home from
school aud forgot to wipe their feet at
the door and the dogs followed them into
the house and they all began to track
around with their muddy feet, but they
didn't track long. They are in the
cautious state right now and so am IL
think l will get some old bagging and
put it down over the carpet so as to save
consequences. | wish that we men were
as neat and careful as the women-no
don't either, for then we wouldn't be
much account out of doors and would
degenerate into dudes as they call 'em,
but I wish we had more regard tor neat
ness than we have. Mrs. ARP says she
don't believe that would wash the win.
dow glass until couldn't see out for the
dust and fly specks, and the dogs would
sleep under the beds and the spiders and
Lizards would live in the closet. But
she don't mean that I know, and is just
talking after the manner of nice respec'
table women. But l don't see any use
in cleaning up so mnch-why it takes an
hour every morning to clean up the lam.
lily room for she will take everything Oft
of the mantel.piece and the books OF OF
the shelves, and wipe off all the little
clean dust that has settled around, and
the ashes must be taken up every morn
ing and the hearth has to have fresh
coat of Spanish brown about twice
week and the water buckets must be
secured, and every few days I have to
take down the pictures so that she can
wipe off the frames, and the leaves have
to be swept out of the yards as fast as
they fall. She had her little flower gar
den all raked and swept mighty nice
yesterday, and I come running in to her
room excited and told her another leaf
had blown down, and I just did have
time to dodge the scissors she throwd'd at
me. I told her one day that the Scrip.
lures said man was made out of dirt, and
she said that she reckoned he was but
that woman wasn't. wish was rich
I wish I was rich for her sake. I would
build her marble palace and fence out
every bug and spider and fly, and have
the walks laid with marble and the
ground all covered withg grass and flowers
and evergreens. She would get tired of
it I know in a month, and then would
sell out and come back to the good old
dirty home. Folks were not made to en-
Joy fine things all the time-our best
pleasures come from contrast. We
wouldn't enjoy new things if they didn't
get old and faded.
There is power of comfort in having
some new thing occasionally-new cur
tains, a new carpet, new lamp, new
clothes, new chairs, new sewing ma.
chine, or new stove to cook Ont
won't do for things to last too long. We
get tired of seeing the furniture in the
same places in room and il is a relief
to move the bureau to the other side.
Even the land we cultivate wants d
change of crops and the stock wants
change of diet. The birds and the beasts
change their haunts, churches change
their preachers and people change their
rulers, and some folks would change their
wives if they could. don't believe in
living in house too fine for. comfort, or
having furniture so fine the children are
afraid to touch it. The Scriptures say
that even the Sabbath WAS made for man
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