The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-05-14
HOUSE-CLEANING DAYS.
Cousin Grimgoolze Objected to
Them and the Reason Why.

Them and the Reason Why
Nobody knew exactly what relation
Mr.. Grimgooke was to Classy and Cora.
If any one had sat down to examine
the family genealogical tree, he might
possibly have studied it out. There
certainly existed some tie of consan-
guinity, for Classy and Cora had al
ways lived under the shadow of the old
gentleman s roof, mended his stock
ings, put up with his freaks of temper,
and cooked his meals just exactly as he
liked them. Their father had been q
sea captain, who vanished out of the
world as mysteriously as sea captains
often do, sailing away one golden au-
tumn day and returning no more; and
Cousin Grimgooke's wife had charit-
ably taken the two orphaned girls to
live with her. And when Mrs. Grim
cooke, too, sailed away into the great
ocean of the unknown, Classy and Cora
remained as if they belonged there,
and succeeded to all her hOusewifely
cares and duties with willing hearts.
Mr.. GrimgoOke was a very poor
man; at least he said he was; and it
was really a difficult thing to screw
money out of him for the various
household expenses of the establish
ment Classy, being skilled with the
needle, soon learned the dressmaking
trade, and clotht 4 herself with the re-
suits of her own work. And Cora
taught the nearest district school
house, and earned fourteen dollars a
month, half of which she religiously
paid into the housekeeping Golfer.
''Save all you can, girls! Save all
you can!' said Mr.. GrimgOOke dOlor-
Ously 'rm poor man myself; and
when I'm dead and decently buried,
there won't be much left for you to
live on
Eyes, Cousin Grimgooke," said
Classy and Cora, meekly.
But you aint so careful as you
might be, persisted Mr.. GrimgOOke.
Classy oughtn't to be wearing that
good gown around the house of a
morning. And Cora threw a very
good little pitcher out of the window
yesterday"
but, Cousin Grimgooke," pleaded
Classy, ''the dress is dyed, and has
been turned twice!"
'And that pitcher is cracked from
top to bottom said Cora. ''It won't
hold water
Putty it up, then, putty it up" said
Mr.. Grimgooke, with earnestness. ''I
do like to see economy in little things!
Now there's the carpets on the floors.
Last year you wore 'em Out-beating
them with a stick. Now don't take 'em
up this year at all. "
"But what are we to do, Cousin
Grimgooke, at house-cleaning timeP'
said Cora.
'Why, clean, of course" said Mr..
GrimgOoke. ''And sweep. And dust.
But you needn't thrash every thing to
pieces, need youP"
''But every one takes up their car
pets when they clean house," urged
Classy.
That's woman all over" said Mr..
Grimgooke. Because other women
make fools of themselves, is it necessary
that you should do so.
Neither Classy nor Cora were pre-
pared to answer this question at a mo-
ment's notice, so they wisely held
their peace, and Mr.. Grimgooke tri-
umphantly fell to reading the newspa-
pers.
Nevertheless, the two Grimgooke
girls were not exempt from the weak
nesses of the feminine soul, so, when
one dav the old man announced that
he was going to Shreveport, the near
est town, to be absent for a couple of
days, Classy and Cora exchanged
glances behind his pepper-and-sa1t-
clothed back. And one glance-the
soft, shy one of Cora-asked as plain
as words could do: HShall we clean
house?' While Cassy's electric blue
orbs flashed back an unmistakable:
''We shall clean house"
And no sooner was Mr.. Grimgooke
well out of sight than Classy ran to stir
up the whitewash pail and to slake new
Jumps of lime, while Cora hastened,
with the aid of an old lead spoon and a
garden trowel-the scientific "carpet-
litter was far beyond her ambition-to
take up the faded old carpets in the up
per rooms.
cousin Grimgooke never need
know it, . said she, as if apologizing to
his vaccnt chair. "And these bed
room carpets are perfectly-Aa0Ja4EP' ~
with a very big A, indeed). 'TH
beat them myself with a little twig
from the Balm of Gilead tree" said
Classy. sand that can't wear them
OUT
She had not half finished whitewash-
ing the kitchen ceiling, however, when
Cora startled her with a cry Of sur
prise.
"Oh, Classy, Cassy,' cried the girl,
''see here See what have foundl"
"a ghost?" cried Classy, skillfully
drawing the wet brush in straight,
sweeping lines across the ceiling. "Or
a mouse, or a black beetle?"
Not one of the three" retorted
Cora, making her breathless appear
ance at the head of the stairs. Three
five-hundred-dollar bills, in an enve-
lope, laid fat under the oil-cloth in
front Of Cousin Grimgooke's washing
stand Oh, Classy, what shall we do
with themg I feel as If I had been
stealing"
'sDo with tbem?'' repeated Classy,
who was the valiant one Of the family.
''Why, put them in your pocket, Of
course, and replace them exactly
where you found them wheH the carpet
goes down again.
But how do you suppose they Vame