Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-02
THAT GAS BILL
Causes q Big Bumpus in the Bowse'
Home.


From the Boston Globe
: What's thisE" asked Mr.. Bowser. as he en-
tered the family sitting room after the evening
meal and picked up piece of paper lying on a
stand.
That" queried Mrs. Bowser. as she glanced
in his direction. "oh. that's the ges bill 1t
just came in this afternoon. and left it where
You would be sure"
What! What" interrupted Mr. Bowser. as
he hurrledly got ont his glasses 10 read the
| figures. -Four dollars and a half, Mrs
Bowser. what on earth is the meaning OF this
1T means. j suppose. that We have burned
that much gas and are expected to pay for it, -
she quietly replied.
Never. Never. I'll see that gas company
buried thousand feet under the burning
sands of Sahara before III ray any such bill,
Its nothing less than highway robbery-black-
mail-extortion, What did you say to the man
who left it?''
Nothing.
Nothing. Didn't you even protest against
such bold-faced robbery in broad DAYLIGHT
Certainly not The bill is only 80 cents
higher than last month, and m sure we have
burned much more gas. | consider it very
reasonable indeed -
Reasonable! Reasonable, It's rank robbery
and III never pay it-never, This is another
specimen of the way you practice domestic
! economy
Mrs, Bowser made no reply, but Mr. Bowser
walked around the room with his hands
crossed under his coat tails and his neck grow
, ing cherry red with emotion. Having got
started he was bound to follow out that line.
and after a minute he broke out with:
when think of the awful extravagance
and reckless waste going on in this
house II makes he fairly shiver It's no
wonder l can't ge. dollar ahead to save my
hide"
The bill from the water Office for the pres
ent quarter Is also there. observed Mrs. Bow
ser as she carelessly glanced over the even
ing paper.
graveyards. but here's more highway robbery
Three dollars for water during the last quarter
three dollars
Yes, that's the regular smount. Our water
tax has been 50 per quarter for the last four
years"
Never, Never. It's never been over - at
the outside. They've tackled on dollar. think
ing you paid the bills and wouldn't question
| it,"
She entered the library and returned after a
| minute with six or seven water bills. All were
made out for the same amount-S3 Mr. Bowser
glanced at them and saw he was hoored, but it
would not do to admit it.
"And why is our water tax s12 year, Mrs.
Bowser. sl2 year?'' he hoa, sely demanded as be
stood before her and waved the Gas bill i'm one
.
| of your reckless waste and extravaganza
madam. That's what they based their figures
on-a wastage of millions of gallons of water
every quarter
She made no reply. and he sat down to get
his breath. He got it in couple Of minutes and
jumped up with:
Didn't you say something to me the other
day about having plumber up here?"
bathtub.''
What. Thot Dathtub leaking again, Over 80
paid out for repairs on that bathtub within the
last year, and now it's ont of kilter againi How
on earth ever managed to get SIS in the bank
to pay for plain. cheap coffin in case of NV
death passes my understanding"
1--WE have lived here for six years. Mr.. Bow
with the bathtub before
But why does it leah now?' he demanded
"Did you coolly and deliberately stand there
with crowbar and punch a hole Through III
Its no wonder to me that business failures are
INCREASING and husbands committing suicide on
every hand. What's this
He stopped down and picked nm soue,b;,c
which had been partly hidden under the Lounge
and held II aloft in triumphant way
Its clothespin," replied Mrs. Bowser as
she looked up Il presume baby brought 1t
from the back ward"
Another evidence that this house is run on
the Hottentot system. Clothespins cost money,
WHY aren't they taken care OFFS
They cost a cent dozen. Mr.. Bovser-
'No matter If You could get a tbon.and for a
cent. 1t isn't the cent We look nj but What
might happen for the want of one single
clothespin. For the want of this ve-,, min Won
might lose one of NY 81 shirts. And now what
on earth is the matter with that clock.
1t had stopped. He put in the Kew and found
that it had not run down. He oaye the nen-
dulum pnsh but after few nncer,ain mo- /
tons it stopped again.
Il presume the clock wants cleaning - ex- |
planned Mrs. Bowser. 1t has stonned several
times lately, and was going 10 ask Won 10 have
jeweler send up for it,
wants cleaning, That clock ON, Of opier
again. I've paid out over 40 0Oo within a wear
for repairs to that clock. and here il ha.
stopped dead still again. Did ron banl off and /,
hit it with a sledge hammer. or Ala Won turp il |
upside down and pour sand into ;,s"
"We've had that clock seven Years Mr. Bow
ser, and this is the first time II has ever had |
To-
ITS no use, no use he exclaimed. as he fell |
upon the lounge win great crash. at may
De tnat can keep IRON committing suicide,
put shouid go crazy and wipe out this family .
ana purn the mouse 70 the ground and kill
about forty nremeh and police and pass the
res, oI M. gay as rssing maniac. the world
VIII understand all about it-all about it, Mrs.
Bowser."
And after dozen long-drawn signs and a
great deal OF kicking around. with an occa-
sional .humph. to let her know that he was
still thinking the matter over. be fell asleep,
and Mrs. Bowser carefully tucked him up with |
q baby blanket.