The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-11


1t was not long after this that Jennie
came to him with a little drawing on
piece of paper.
Harry" she said, "can't you get me
sharp piece of iron or steel this shape?"
She seated herself on The side OF his
chair, and he put his arm around her and
drew her close, as he went to examine the
paper,
What is it for, dearie?"
u want to clean out the cracks of the
kitchen floor" she said. ~ have tried
hair-pins and an old pen-holder, but they
don't work. Mother had a sharp-pointed
thing like this"
He threw back his head and laughed.
The cracks in the kitchen floor?" he
said; "why in the world don't you leave
them alone?"
Her face was very serious.
20, Harry" she said, Il can't lie
awake nights and think OF the dirt that's
in them"
THAT is absurd, Jennie" he said.
mo one else digs up the cracks of her
kitchen floor, as if they were the ruins of
Pompeiii"
81 can't help what other people do" she
answered, solemnly. Il should be miser-
able if l couldn't have things clean.
Mother always did,"
He laughed again, but this time a little
uneasily. IL began to strike HIM that this
sort OF thing might be carried too far.
he was sure OF it, when Jennie proposed
to clean house in May.
''Why, Jennie" he expostulated, 'this
house was put in thorough order not two
months ago."
Il know it," she said, and it isn't very
dirty, to be sure. but it will be so long to
114a f,1 a., Il
seems such good time to clean it, and l
feel so well now"
Her arguments carried the day, and for
over a week she reyeled in scrubwoman
and soap-suds.
Every closet was ransacked, every bureau
drawer turned upside down. All the bed
Stats were washed, and the rugs and cur
tains beaten and the furniture taken out
and whipped and brushed
GAS long as it is going to be done, it
might as well be done thoroughly" said
Jennie, and her only regret seemed to be
that there was not more to do.
Harry, coming home one evening, was
surprised to see his entire wardrobe hang
ing upon the clothes-line The legs of his
trousers tapped with the wind, and seemed
to be kicking viciOusly, as if they resented
the insults to which they were subjected
and even his coats shrugged their shout
ders at him in an offended and injured
wSy.
He found two women on the piazza, who
were cleaning the little balustrade around
it. This was a sort OF open lattice work,
and they had little sticks wound around
with cloths in their hands, which they
seemed to be inserting intOevery opening
Coming in he found Jennie on the high
est step OF the step-ladder, apparently
prOddng the wall with some shining in
strument.
She was so intensely in earnest, and her
whole occupation seemed so absurd, that
it struck him.for one awful moment that
she had gone insane.
Jennie he shouted, Jennie, what are
you doing?"
She started up and almost lost her
balance.
"Oh," she cried, chow yon frightened
me- Why, Harry, do you know that this
frieze is covered with fly specks, and l
can't wash them off without spelling the
paper, but find 1 can take knitting
needle and sort of scratch or prick each
little speck off with it."
He took her by the hand and led her up
stairs. They went into the room together
and he shut the door.
Lie down, Jennie" he said, earnestly,
'he down."
She looked at him half frightened
"What is the matter, Harry? You act
so strangely"
strangely" he echoed, with a short
laugh, strangely, Jennie" he said, des-
perate:y; 'either you or l must be crazy,
that's all"
"Why, Harry, what do you mean? l,
at least, am perfectly sane"
well" he said, perhaps it is l. then,
who have lost my wits. But when come
home and find my garments gyrating in
unseemly attitudes upon the line; when
find two women pOking sticks with cloths
on them through every hole in the lattice
work on the front piazza; when / find my
wife picking off fy-specks with a knitting
needle, l can't quite tell whether it's my
own house or a private asylum"
you must expect such things Harry"
said his wife with dignity; don't you
know I'm cleaning house ?"
"Yes," he answered, you haven't done
anything else since l married you!
The color came to her face and she be-
gan to cry.
every WELL" she said, brokenly, eff
you feel like that, l think I had better go
hOAhS " hlg AiOVhOA II was away OAOdA
there"
Don't talk about your mother" he
cried excitedIy.
He was walking up and down the room
rapidly. Presently he stopped and sat
down on the edge of the bed beside her.
Jennie" he said gently, don't cry.
| Can't yOu-can't we change in some way
so that you won't have so much of this
/ eternal fuSsino p"
"Dont you want to be clean?" she
asked tragically through her tears.
why, of course, Jennie; but can't we
be clean without being so wretchedly,
so abominably, clean? Why, we fairly
| have to fight for our lives"
81 don't know" she said. tearfully; "a
thing is clean. or it isn't. That's all there
| is about it."
She began to cry again.
ooh, DEAR" she moaned, az wish were
at homel l wish 1 were at homep
He kissed her wet cheeks and stroked
her disheveled hair
"Don't cry, darling" he said, "dOn't
cry. You shall scrub and clean all you
want to. I'll never say a word about it
again. Only love me and don't cry"
After time he comforted her, and they
went down stairs together, and he never
realized that the inherited vice had con-
quered him, and was now firmly estab-
lished in his home.
They lived through the summer very
pleasantly. Jennie had put down mat
tings and covered the furniture with linen