The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-26
HE WON HIS BET.

!
''I'li bet you IS can sweep every room
In tho house and wash the break fast dishes,
too. in an hour and half. You women
dawdie so about your work and make so
much Of unimportant things It's all non-
sense to spend half dag sweeping this
house, and 1t oughtn't to tire one to death
either"
"oh, yes, that is about rs much as a
man knows about a woman's work.
would like to give you little lesson on
the subject, however, so I'll take your bet
IN give you the 50 If you'll do the work
In the time you proposed. OF course you
can't do 1t, but you'll sec how it Is your
self when you try it,
This little conversation between Mr..
Golf and his wifo took place while they
fingered over u late breakfast ono Sunday
morning recently. 1t had been a hot week
and old Sol seemed TO have gathered him.
self for q final effort that morning. Mrs.
Colts systematic methods had been some
what interfercd with BY unexpected com-
pany, and Friday had actually gone by
without tho usual weekly renovation,
much TO her disgust, for like most orderly
housewives shc had a cute little pro-
grainnru to which sho rigftily adhered.
Even though tired muscles quivered with
pain and oveiwrought nerves protested
against such RELENTLESS system, she would
drag through the part laid out for each
day, instead of taking good rest, and
then doubling the work the next day when
she felt equal to tho exertion.
Mrs. Golf didn't keep help, partly bo.
cause she wanted her three children to
learn to work, and partly because being
strong, healthy woman, 1t would Interfere
with her household economies to do so.
There was a little more discussion on
the subject, and then each one started out
to give the other a beautiful lesson. It
isn't often that two persons plan to get
such widely divergent illustrations from
tho same little performance. She was lust
to keep out of the way until he was
through and let him do things his own
way and tell him when the time was up
wouldn't sho have a jolly good joke on
him, though, for he never could accom-
pliSh il.
He decided to do the sweeping first SO
the kitchen might cool off q trifle, and
armed with besom and dustpan he mount.
cd to the upper rooms. A small space was
swept first and chairs, tables, etc, showed
together and covered with nice, clean
sheet to keep the dust off, whilo bric-a-
brac of various kinds was tumbled on to
the beds with charming disregard of i'm
maculate counterpancs and dainty pillow
covers. 1t was inspiring to see how the
carpet succumbed to each vigorous stroke
of his broom, which sent tho dust curling
in marvellous eddics high up to tho ceiling,
| whilo his face grew more apoplcctic in ap.
pearanco as tho work progressed. But he
went on, and in an incredibly short time
ho had swept the entire eight rooms and
was ready TO begin on tho dishes.
Mrs Golf heard the dishes rattle. She
remembered her promise to keep out of the
way. But her womnns curiosity was
strong-she must take Peep at John In
all the majesty of his new vocation She
managed to possess her soul in patience
until 10 minutes of the specified time and
then she ventured into the kitchen The
| cleaning piles of china were white and
| clean, but the waterl No need to inuuirt
whnt constituted the breakfast menu; ont
glance was sufficient. Bits of steak float
ed around on tiny RATS of toasted bread
eggshells played tag with melon rinds ant
grapes carconed cumplacently around the
swirling mnss as he rescued n few belatet
silver spoons from It's shadowy depths.
"Oh, John" exclaimed the mortified
woman, lyon never scrnped tho plates"
We'll should say mott What's the us,
| VI ipO4ii4 away sO tlfllbE flHSpt
them in hot water. You couldn't get then
any cleaner yourself tell you womer
waste too much time on triiles. While yot
are getting ready to do thing maj
would have plunged into it and had Il
dono"
Tho dignity Of this remark was some
what impaired by his ludicrous appear
ance. Big whito aprons arc not usunil,
very becoming to men, and combined will
Mr.. Colts ample proportions and the hug
polka dots of coal smoke, with the towc
which had served as q sweeping cap still
pcrched on his head, he was anything bu
an impressive figure Nothing daunted
however, he continued his littlo lecture
Il tell you, said he, women don't know
how to econumizo timo. They don't knop
how to simplify and systemati2e Perhap
tho new woman with all her fne theorie.
will learn 10 bring some Of the order ant
method OF oilice work into tho homes ant
that the morning hours mustn't be deyot
cd to ncighbors and newspapers and'-
He didn't finish his homily-his wifi
was convulsed with laughter, two of hi
friends had snoaked in tho back way jus
in tmo for the finish, and although he hat
won his bet with five minutes TO spare h
privately admitted to them that if he go
caught in such a trap again his namc wa
Dellnls. lie said ho would rather max
estimates against q big printing house ol
cent margin, correct the office boy
first proof, or even try to collect bill 70
posters and programmes from travelling
concert company than go through such al
experience again.
1t required good deal of hard work Oh
tho part of Mrs Golf to bring order out Q
the chaos of dust which lie had created
and which lie stoutly insisted 1t was Ii
part of his province to remove. And i
made her very sad to find delicate vas
shattered and the nose Off of favorit
statuetto, but take it all in all she oonsid
ers tho experiment a grand success, fo
since that timo John has grown remarka
bly, reticcnt on tho subject of improve
methods and rapid results, and she realize
that an unwonted consideration has grow
out Of that little Sunday morning episod,
Exchange.