Mower County transcript., 1892-06-01
.WAYsIDE GLEANINGs.

well, I've CLEANED lew IactS the past
week which have set me to thinking quite
a good deal. haven't any matrimonial
intentions on any young man in Austin
Notwithstanding it IS leap year, but have
been noticing them good deal lately be
cause Of their exquisite dress, good looks
and fine manners. Most of them can doff
y hat to a lady with perfect grace. and
do think they have way OF smiling out
at one which is lawfully sweet" IwrOte
home to pa about them, and the dear old
man was actually scared because he
thought I was falling in love with stranG.
ers. But although do admire gallantry
and handsome boys and all that, yet
have been taught to look beyond mere
external attractions for sometimes these
things cover very perverse nature.
t t
Two Sundays ago, you remember, was
beautiful day. and in the afternoon it
seemed as if everybody with his wife or
sweetheart was out walking. I noticed
one or two men out with somebody else's
wife. too, but they went along as happy
like and smiling into each others face in
such confidential way, that suppose 1t
was all right, though it. looked little
queer to me. Well. as l had no husband
or lover, either, started off alone. like
the bear that went over the mountain ITO
see what I could saw" and the first
thing to attract my attention was quite
number of these young men I have been
speaking OF, dressed up even finer than
usual Ito avoid suspicion suppose) and
carrying canes. They seemed to have
kind of mutual understanding between
themselves, and wondered what was up.
Very soon they all climbed into convex.
ance near by and concluded they must
all have girls living in the country, and
were going out to see them in this way
as piece of economy, because am told
that livery hire IS quite expensive. But
I noticed that one young man taller than
the rest, who wore very light trowsers
and had very red cheeks. acted as if he
were doing something not exactly right.
and that he wouldn't like to have everv-
body know. He tried to be gay, how
ever, and while was puzzling over the
affair, I noticed one of the boys slipping
q long club into the wagon which some
body called bat, and then had q
glimpse of one or two balls being care
lesslv tossed about. and heard the driver
say something about Varco. Then it
tdaWned upon me that these city boys,
who had no doubt attended church and
SUNDAY school in the morning, were going
to that little out of the way town TO have
a game of bali on Sunday. They proba-
bly, returned in time to walk home from
church with their respective girls and
appear before them as very exemplary
young men. No; pa needn't worry about
my falling in love with any of those young
men.
MY mind seems to be running consid-
erably on boys and men lately, and as the
mouth speaketh from the abundance of
the heart so am inclined to do today.
I have been wondering why mothers do
not teach their boys to wash dishes, and
make beds, and do such common house
work just the same as they do their girls ?
In many homes the children are all boys
and why shouldn't they be taught to
tighten their mothers cares and save her
some Of the wearisome tasks she is so
I l1;, h,nl fhor
would be ANYTHING unmanly in boy
helping his mother IN this wav. If l
should ever have the bringing up of one
of them, (Which isn't at all prObable) l
would teach him how to wash dishes at
least. Ihave seen so many men in cases
of sickness, when obliged to step into
their wife's shoes, that didn't know how
or where to take hold of the work, that l
have mentally resolved that one of my
first duties after I am married (if that
event ever occurs) will be to instruct the
partner of my woes in the art of dish
washing, and to impress upon him the
fact that frying pans and kettles are not
to be ''left over" on any account.
t + i
was once summoned to friends
house to witness the chaos and destruc-
ton that had occurred in that domicil
during an absence of the wife for three
days. Mr.. man had occupied
every bed in the house, leaving each
one unmade and unaired; bureau drawers
were left half open with stray sleeves and
corners of garments hanging therefrom;
cigar ashes were deposited on pretty table
covers and window stills; burnt matches
strewed the floor, and soiled linen lay
1 tumbled into corners or on chairs, and an
air OF general untidiness prevailed. Then
the kitchen! oh, my! Words can not
describe it. Every cooking utensil he
had used was piled away in the sink, and
some of them utterly ruined. Unwashed
dishes loomed up in piles on the pantry
shelves with many broken one in view,
and the stove hadn't seen q brush or cloth