Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-10-24
HIGH LIFE In A CITY FLAT.
PERSONAL CONFESSION OF ONE
WHO KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT.

WHO KNOWS ALL ABOUT IT.
Usss Of the Folding Bed-Painfui Neces-
sity Of Dressing and Undressing All Over
the Houss-Tsrror OF Hearing the Door
Boil.
l know considerable about high life.
have lived in the second or third stories
Of desirable flats or modern houses since
was put into short dresses. have
viewed the world from exalted heights,
especially when l hung clothes in the
garnet on wash days, and ain prepared
to soy that although some people pay
extra b live on the first floor front, they
miss the very richness Of existence.
Cream always rises to the top.
have just moved out Of apartments
on the second story Of q very narrow
house. / think the architect who
planned the building must have done 1t
with one eye. Its whole width accom-
modated the width Of an apartment OF
ordinary size, 30, instead OF the rooms
branching of from one another in their
usual convenient fashion, they had
formed procession In Indian file from
the front elevation to the coal house. II
you were in the kitchen you had to 20
through every room In order to get to
the front room. You couldn't wander
about that house--you could only go
through it.
The family Of which am proud and
valued member Ii not a small one. Fam
lilies In fats never are. You will realize
the truth Of this II you ever come to live
ON the floor underneath one OF them.
hops that no girl will ever tell one Of
my brothers that she will be a sister to
him. There are too many OF us now.
THE oMEIPREsEST FOLDING BED.
One Of the results Of large families
living Ia small fats Is the folding bed.
They lean against the wall, trying to
look like book case or cabinet organ,
but can always tell them. When see
. piece Of furniture looming up like a
monument factory, with kind OF moth
Ing In particular air about ii, then know
that 1t il a bed In disguise.
Our parior was situated about midway
down the line OF rooms so as to connect
With the front stairs Two OF us girls
had folding bed in there. We used to
arrange vases and photograph holders
upon Ii during the daytime In our en-
deavors 10 conceal It's identity. Every
othes room except tho dining room and
culinary department was the station for
bed, and when we bad company 70 stay
all night we used to spread canvas cots
In the back hall. used to hum sweet
little song about "Oh, put me Ia my little
cot, motherw but since affording accom-
modations for my visiting relatives by
spending few nights out In the back
hall ON bier, with a tent roof for a tick,
have refrained from petitioning my
mother 10 do any such thing.
IL seems natural to those not accus-
toned TO dressing rooms TO take off and
put ON their clothes in the bedroom, con.
sequently we used to dress and undress
all over the house. Any one by simply
walking once through our fiat In the
dead OF night could have fallen over
enough wearing apparel to have set him
up In the clothing business.
RECEIVING CALLERS,
predominance OF dressing rooms, espe.
cially IL any one called in the daytime
before our toilets were complete or in the
night time after any of us had retired
We never heard the outside front door
bell ring but its sound smote us with
terror. We would tiy from all parts oil
the house and congregate at the head oil
the stairs to hear II what wo dreaded wa,
true--that the caller was ours. II Otter
was. Then the real earnest work began
One Of us tore of her apron, tied hel
shoe, combed out her front hair anc
secured her teeth preparatory to opening
our then carefully closed door. Others
Jew down the length OF our rooms gath
ering dress waists, petticoats, bath tow
els, accordion skirts, nightgowns and th,
like as they went. We were almost SURE
TO leave piece Of raiment or some toilel
article in conspicuous place. ltseemed
TO be fate.
People coming up stairs 10 see us al
ways heard loud crashing and sounds
OF flying feet, but after they knocked
upon the cherry stained panels all wa.
still. We used to stop just where We
happened 70 be when the knock came.
OTHER FEATURES
One cold winters evening stopped in
small clothes press, which opened int,
the parlor, and l was obliged to exis
there for two hours and u half while m,
youngest sister talked TO man about tn,
likelihood OF finding ten varieties o
orchids at Portage Falls.
One time when my basque was hang
Ing on door knob in the kitchen, whei
was In the front room, and two caller
In seal sacks were awaiting me in tn,
parlor, had to hail our grocery man
errand boy as he was going by with |
sack OF -four and send him around int
the kitchen with an order for my basque
thought delivering basques would com,
rather natural to one used to carryin,
sacks. He brought it around TO the from
Of the house all right, and fished it vi
with gilt cord of our mantel lambre
quin.
Owing 70 the marriage of several o
my sisters and the raising OF the salarie
Of several Of my brothers, we have falle
Into the position where it seems incum
bent upon US TO live in the style whic
our income demands, and we have cor
cluded to rent an entire house. Fror
my long experience in flats know tina
the ringing OF a door bell will Away
strike terror TO my soul, and know tina
] shall never entertain company withou
glancing uneasily at the sofa to see IL W
threw those stockings clear under, out {
0ight.-Buffalo Express,