The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-04-11
THE CLOTHESLINE WAR.
EY AMOS Il. WELLS.

. Too much cooperation among near
neighbors is dangerous thing So
Mrs. Murray and Mrs. O'Neil
learned, to their sorrow.
And yet, what else could they have
done? 1t is a serious matter to be q
washerwoman, and live in the fourth
story of q tenement. When each
moved in she was shown her clothes
line, running over q pulley fastened
outside her window, and across the
alley to another pulley in an oppo-
site window.
Each rccm had two windows, and
Mrs. Murray was told that the north
clotheslinc was hers, while Mrs.
ONeil was put in possession of the
line connecting the windows to the
south. One morning Mrs. Murray
leaned from her window, as she was
hanging out part of her last wash
ing, and called to her neighbor
over the way, who was doing the
same:
"Mornin' to yc, Me own names
Mis- Murray"
''An' mornin' to ye, I'm sure; an
I'm Mis- O'Neil."
''Glad to make your acquaintance,
Mis- ONeil. Dye know, Mis-
O'Neil, ivcr since l moved in I've
been a-wantin' to use the half O
: your clothcsline that you can't use. "
/ why, an me the same, Mis-
Murray, for I've often big wash
that l can't begin to dhry on me one
line, an the clothes get sour a.
hangin' indoor"
"Wcll, then, Mis- O'Neil, + you're
agreed, you let me know when
you're ready to start out clothes on
your line. an I'll start at the same
time On the other half of it, and you
may 60 the same with mine, so we'll |
make each line carry double"
Twice day since then, and often
three times day, would sound
across the alley a ''Re-c-eady, Mis-
Murray" or o 'Re-c-cadv, Mis-
O'Neil, and then, in the midst OF
putting clouds of steam, our laundry
women would fill one clothesline,
Mrs. Murray sending her clothes to
Mrs. ONcil, whilst Mrs. O'Ncil, on
the return half Of the same line, was
sending hers to Mrs. Murray. Next
the other clotheslinc would be filled,
and the tapping garments would
gather in what sunshine and pure
air they could from Skin alley, until
the next wash was ready
This arrangement soon ripcned
into a friendship, and many were
the hearty bits of cheer, the secret
condolences and the merry whiffs of
Irish banter sent to and fro along
the clotheslines. But, alas! We're
there ever two neighboring families,
bound together by clothesline or
some less material tic, that never
found the liuc somewhat strained,
the bond tense and ready to break?
Cooperation will be free from peril
in the millennium.
One morning Mrs. Murray OBJ
served that her neighbor was rather
reserved, and said very little, being
intent On getting her clothes on the
line with the greatest possible ex-
pedition, When she looked more
carefully at those clothes Mrs. Muir
ray gave great start and her brow
clouded darkly.
There was no doubt about it, her
neighbors washing was that of
Mrs. Bentley, Mrs. Murray's best
customer. All. here came the hand ,
kerchiefs, big BIS in the corners.
And no one could ever mistake that
pillowsham. AS the clothes jerked
nearer Mrs Murray she took up q
handkerchief, examined it and
glanced sharply at her ncighbor.
Bat AIrs. ONeil turned away
Thcreat Mrs. Murray shut her win
dow with bang.
Now it happened that day that
Mrs. Murray wanted the clothes
lines unusually early in the after
noon. Probably her wrath had as
sisted her muscles. And when she
was ready to take in the dry clothes
from the lines Mrs. O'Neil was not.
Indeed Mrs. Murray, peering with
blazing eyes into the dirty windows
could see nothing of her
neighbor. "Gone a-gaddin'. I'm
not a-goin' to wait on the likes O.
her."
With nerves trembling with ex- !
citcmcnt and passion Mrs. Murray G
began to pull in her clothes, vicious !
ly jerking the line through the pull "
leys, and. of course, knocking off, as i
the line went through, all of Mrs. 6
O'Neil's washing. Down futtered :
the Bentleys' clothes into the un- !
imaginable filth of Skin alley. Dainty 5
linen lay in reeking pools, deckcd
garbage barrels, waved from dirty
window shutters where it caught &
half way down, or tapped along the
greasy fre-escapcs. a
Just as Mrs. Murray had secured
her last garment Mrs. O'Neil re- =
turned and saw at glance what A
had happened. shall not attempt
to record the conversation that fol-
lowed. Zach woman was mistress
OF the art vituperative, and every
window within hearing distance
soon held one or more eager auditors
s'listening at Mis- Murray an Mis-
O'Neil having it out" 1t was, in
decd, fortunate that fifteen feet of
four story alley intervened between
the contestants. V