Daily Republican., 1889-09-17
MIR, AND MRS. BOwsER.
BY MRS. BOwSER.

LAST fall Mr.. Bowser undertook to dc
our fall housecleanlng In fifteen minutes
but got discouraged and went oil for Q
fortnight while l finished up. As want
ed 10 overhaul things little this month
and as wanted him out of the way,
said 70 him the other evening:
being you have been home oil sum
mer should think you would want to
take little trip this fall"
"H,mW he replied as he looked up
from his paper.
"You don't look n bit we'll, Mr.. Bow
ser. Your face is haggard, and / believe
you have lost twenty pounds OF tiesh this
summer"
This time he didn't say anything as he
looked at me.
III you wanted to go down to New
Hampshire and see your relatives" l
continued, II could get you all ready in
one day."
"0h, you couldn he replied. 'Mrs.
Bowter, see through your little game,
and 1t won't work. You want to get me
away 80 you can rip and tear and scrub
and clean and wipe and dust and damage
and destroy four ffths OF the contents OF
this housei'
u want to clean just little" F..
well, go ahead"
But you-you-"
"Oh, yes It's always mel One would
think you were afraid to breathe un ess
gave my consent in writing. Have /
said word ageinst housecleaning3 Don't
! know that housecleaning must be donei
was wondering the other day when you
were going t. BEGIN"
.'but last year you raised such fuss.
.hav
single word. If / did it was only in
iun."
"And may cleani"
"Not only that, but I'il help"
'But you needn't. You Just be pa
tlent and put up with the muss for a few
days and I'll GET"
"As ! said. 1 will hep, Mrs. Bowser.
1t will be sort of vacation for me,
Don't you worry about my findiDg any
1t was with fear and trembling that
saw him put on an old suit OF clothes
next morning, and heard him say:
IN begin on the parlor first. LIS
now . O'Clock. We ought TO be through
with the whole house In two hours"
"I-Im afraid we are not so smart as
that. We must go slow and give the
house thorough going over"
"oh, we'll have everything shining like
a new pin before we let up. You boss,
and IN do the work. You know, of
course, that there is everything in the
planning. Some folks make whole
weeks work of house cleaning simply
because they don't know how to plan.
Mother and used to clean house in half
an hour, and you know how particular
she is."
After breakfast the cook came in and
said she was ready, and she likewise an.
nounced that the two colored women
were In waiiirg.
"Waitlng for what" asked Mr.. Bowser.
"To help US clesn," replied.
"Send them right homei Five of us to
clean bousel Who ever heard OF the likel
Do you want the neighbors 10 think we
have been shoveling dirt into the house
all summer Pll start those colored
women for home, and l don't want any
help from the cook. Let her attend to
affairs in the kitchen"
He went out and ''started" the two
women had had engaged for six weeks.
and then returned with the announce
ment that he was ready to start in on the
spare bedroom, having already taken
down the curtains aud removed the bed
ding.
Ah llkht-L ~ nave IL uOne IN nVe
minntesW he replied, as he spit on his
hands. "You clear out and give me room
to work. ! think / can give you and all
other women pointer on house clean,
ing"
went down stairs. and It wasn't over
seven minutes before lie called to me:
"All right, Mrs. Bowser-your room is
cleanedl Come up aud show me what 10
do next"
"What have you done?" / asked, as
found him seatel on the window sill with
q complacent smile OIL his face.
"Cleaned the room. Every picture has
been taken down and busted, the bed
stead wiped off, and l have swept the
carpet. Your three or four women would
have been two days accomplishing the
same task have completed In less than
ten MINUTES. tell you, Mrs. Bowser, 1t
is all In the planning.
"But that bedstead must come down,
Mr.. Bowser."
"What forf'
because the carpet must come up.
Everything must be moved out of I'll @
room and the floor cleaned"
"Well, l should like to know what fort
What's the matter oi this room just as it
isp |
"Dust, Mr.. Bowser. It blows and we |
can't help It. Moths get In now and then. |
II we don't do our work thoroughly we |
might as well let 1t go entirely. Take the
bedstead down fret"
"I'll lake 1t down, but protest. It's |
all bosh hunting out every sreck of dust.
No one else does II. Get out of tho way"
he made grab for the springs and |
lifted them out, but In getting them
clear OF the roll he fell over backwards
and the springs fell upon him. He made
use OF several vigorous exclamations,
kicked out in an effort to demolIsh them,
and ns l assisted him to get up he reared:
81 told You that these things out to be
left alopel The fool who invented them
never intended they should be movedp'
calmed him down after bit and then
isked him to take down the bedstead. He
grabbed the foot-board and gave pull.
Then he grabbed the head board and gave
! wrench.
"Mr. Bowser, don't you know how to
AXE bedstesd apsrtl asked.
"Dontt i? Well, If don't no one
Use doesl was taking bedstaads apart
en- years before you were bornl You al
ways have to loosen the joints bit. Now
heu-"
but you don't bear down on the rail-.
lou must HIT up at the ends"
~ think / know nay business, Mrs.
3owser," he replied as he worked away.