Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1884-02-28
Bill Arp.
Practices Domestic Duties.

which she knows l am fond of.
While the house was beir g cleaned
up l noticed that the beds were not
touched, and go TOLD her 1 would
help but she said no she wanted them
taken out on the piazzo to sun, and
so 1 took EN- 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 q little.-OleaniDg up alittle
liz the old, old story at my house.
When I got through I eat down on
the front piazzo with my pipe to ru'
inmate q little and rest from my ar.
duous labors. Pretty soon she brought
me broom and q rake and string,
and asked me to tie the broom. handle
onto the rake for she wanted to sweep
down the cob webs from the walls. !
understood all that, and go l tied it
on aud swept 'ems all down myself
and retired to the piazzo as usual.
About the time L had my feet stuck
up on the banisters, she brought out
a hammer and q paper of carpet tacks
and laid EN- down on the table be.
side me and smiled. These move.
ments reminded me Of the CARPET that
she had been threatening to put down
in the big family room for 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 I used to. ]
gave an involuntary groan and a
grunt or two and went to work. A
lttle-darkey had already brought up
passel Of hay from the barn, and so
We picked 1t all over and got all the
little weeds and coars+r pieces out and
spread it nicely upon the floor, and
then l unrolled the carpet from the
middle each way and went to work on
one side mailing it. 1t mad to be
stretched and fitted all around and
the edge on the hearth was the hard
est Of all, for Mrs. Arp watched every
tack and if it wac fraction of an
inch out CT liue she saw it and had
TO keep pulling and turning under
the edges, and when l was on it l
couldn't s.uli it and I couldn't get off
ir for the wall, and 30 it was get up
and set down and work sideways
and cross ways, and all sorts of ways,
and mashed my fingers and cramped
my knees, andtwiated off my suspend
er buttons, 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 lis mer
cies. By the time We got III the fur
niture set back again and the beds
made up the day was halt gone and
the children came home from school
and forgot to wipe their feet at the
door and the dogs followed them into
the house andthey all began to track
around with their muddy feet, but
they didn't track long. They are in
the cautious state right now and 81
am II think I will get some old
bagging and eput over the carps. so
as 70 aaseseo6seq eqnences- I1wiah that
We men were as neat and careful as
the women-no I don't either, for
then.we wouldn't be much account
out of doors and would degenerate
Into dudes asthey call EN-, but l wish
we had more regard io- neatness than
We have. Mrs. Arp says che don't
believe that 1 would wash the window
glass until couldn't see out for the
dust and fly specks, and the dogs
would sleep under the bed, and the
spiders and Lizards would live in the
closet. But she don't mean that l
know, aud is just talking after the
manner Of rice respectable women.
But don't see any use in cleaning
up so much.-why it takes an hour
every morning to clean up the family
room for she will take everything off
of the mantle piece and the books off
Of the shelves, and wipe off all the
little clean dust that has settled
around, and the ashes must be taken
up every morning and the hearth has
to have fresh coat Of Spanish brown
about twice week and the water
buckets must he secured, and every
few days have to take down the
pictures so that she can wipe eff the
frames, and the leaves have to be
swept out OF the yards as fast as they
tall. She had her little aower garden
all fsked and swept mighty nice yes.
terday, and 4 come running in her
room excited and told her another
leaf had blown down, and l just had
time to dodge the scissors she throw'd
at me. l told her one day that the
Scriptures said man was made out OF
dirt, and said she reckoned be was
but that women wasn't. I wish I was
rich-I wish l was rich for her sake.
l would build her a marble palace
and fence ~eA every bug and spider
aud AY. aid have the walks laid with
marble and he ground ell covered
with grassland flowers and evrrgreens
4 -