Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-23
MR.. BOWSER,S WRATH.
He Has His House Painted.

Mrs. Bowser's version in the Detroit Free Press.
One day 1 saw Mr.. Bowser stop in front of
the house and give it careful looking over,
and when he came in l asked:
You are not thinking of making any repairs,
are your"
We'll, not exactly repairs. Blu. was just
thinking that could make great improve
ment"
"How?"
''The paint hasn't held its color and think 1
snail have the house gone over again-just q
light coat, you know"
MIR. Bowser. this house was painted only six
months ago. At that time wo had half dozen
men around here for nearly month"
| Yes but the color has faded"
didn't warn you at the time that it would
fade! And didn't everybody laugh at the idea
| house,"
mo, ma'am. they didn't. Everybody COM
phmehted my taste. I've had dozen people
or cultivation and taste tell me that it was per-
feet harmony. and that there was nothing in
! town to match 1t. But it's Just like YOU.
whenever desire to make all improvement
! you are the drag Oh me-
! But let 1t go until spring. anyhow"
Mrs. Bowser, did you ever hear the word
! economy"
| Yes, sir"
! But you evidently do not understand what
1t means 1t means, in a broad sense to sell
wnere you can sell the highest and buy where
| you can buy the cheapest me painting sea-
son is about closed, lots of men are out of work,
ana can get this house painted now $40
| cheaper than next spring. Isn't $40 worth
| saving?"
y rs, but the house doesn't need it,"
| NOT IN your Judgment. perhaps. People
VINO were brought up in log houses in the coun-
try have tastes peculiarly their own. The
| house will be painted
He crossed his hands under his coat tails
paced up and down the sitting ROOM and Of
| course, sunk into insignifcance and dropped
the subject: Two days later four or five hard
looking fellows with paint on their clothes
| came up and looked the outside of the house
| over At brief intervals they consulted to-
sether and made figures on the back gate. At
oIher Orlef intervals they measured the width
ana length OF the house with a tape line
After three hours hard work they came to a
J conclusion OF some sort and then went out to
the barn to rest their tired brains and wait for
MIR. Bowser to appear. When he came home
he confabbed with them for half an hour, made
more more nsures on the back gate and finally told
| them 10 go ahead.
They won't make the least muss around"
he said as he came in. They'll skim right
over IN about two days and you'll hardly know
they have been here"
| 1t was useless to say ANYTHING after the bar
ut.
Next morning wagon came with three long
ladders, two short ones, four step-ladders four
pals and SO many cans aud brushes that l got
tired OF counting them. l expected to see
iul1y fifteen painters come with the outfit, but
ten must have got lost on their way up. The
five were enough. however, to take possession
OF the barn, the kitchen and the basement.
Looks as If they wouldn't be over day and
a half, said Mr.. Bowser, as he started off down
town.
N ma - {har,x o. kol-
whole week for it, and went out to interview
the boss on the subject. He did some more
measuring with tape line, put down some
more figures on the back gate, counted his long
and short ladders over and finally replied:
II did say two weeks at first ma am but if
the weather holds good think twelve days will
see the last of it,"
Twelve days?"
mot over thirteen, anyhow
Are you doing this by the job?'
'Oh, no, ma'am. Some Of the scrubs take
| jobs and rush 'em through and cheat folks in
the most horrible manner, but we don't. We
work by the day and do our work we'll"
Then began circus which lasted Just seven
teen days without change OF program. Every
painter went down into the basement to inspect
the walls of the house. They were gone lust
half an hour. When they reappeared thew in
spected the interior OF the barn. and were in
visible for long hour. Then they came out
and managed to raise a ladder against the side
OF the house. They might possibly have raised
another during the forenoon, but one Of them
fortunately observed that the first ladder was
little shaky. This brought about a consulta-
ton, and the ladder was taken down and IN
spected. BY a vote of three to two it was de-
clded that one of the rungs was loose. Then
the hive put In just an hour and a half hunting
for hammer and nails glue pots, wedges, crow
bars, jack screws, pile drivers and other
articles deemed necessary to make repairs
When MIR. Bowser came home to dinner not a
thing had been done in the way of painting. l
complained of this, but he replied:
''Oh, give them q show. They have got to
get ready. When once they start they will
move like cyclone"
Why did you hire them by the day2'
ITO get good work."
During the afternoon the painters raised a
second ladder, mixed about a gallon of color,
drank four pints OF Mr.. Bowsers bottled beer
and carefully inspected and gave each other
their individual opinions on the age and ma
tionality of the kitchen girl.
Half an hour before MIR. Bowser came home
one of them carefully and cautiously assembled
ladder, painted portion of a bracket and
came down and went over on the back street to
see how it looked. The others went over to
help him and none of them were seen again
that afternoon.
The second day was but slight improve
ment on the first, and it was four DAYS before
one could see that any work had been done
Then Mr.. Bowser concluded he didn't like the
color and he had 1t changed, He was earnestly
ADVISED to do this by the painters, who said the
color they had been putting on was rather out
of date and did not harmonize with the color
OF our front door.
At the end of the twenty-sccond day Mr..
Bowser came home to find that four fifths of
the work had been accomplished He got mad
and discharged the whole crowd out Of hand
although the boss pitifully protested:
Never drove gang of men so hard in nv
life, and did want to do job here to which l
could point with pride"
Mrs Bowser, do you know what your foolish
whim has cost me in cold CASH."
MY foolish within? What do you mean?"
II mean what sayi had this house painted
to please you, and those Internal daubers have
made it cost me about $780,
Didn't l protest about having it painted?"
Protest! No, ma'am; you encouraged mel"
"Mr. Bowser!''
There you go! Lay everything to me as
usual Any husband who humors the whims
OF his wife will come out Just as have. Mrs.
Bowser, don't fool with me any more! I've
borne and borne, but there is a limit. The
worm will tur at last. I'm ready to turn!'
She Didn't See Niagara.
From the Youths Companion.
The industry of an old lady in a western
bound railroad train greatly amused the other
passengers. On coming aboard at q small town
she hastily seated herself, and was making her
shining knitting needles fly on a half finished
blue-and-white stocking before the train had
left the station.
Seated at her husband's side she knitted on
ay,hA hAa ~