River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-06-13
LEAVING OUT THE WASHING.
What May Happen when 1t Comes On to
Rla~ in the

Blow In the Night.
Whether to leave the washing out
or not" said Mr.. Flatdweller, may
easily be a question of Importance.
Why it is thought OF leaving it out Is
simple enough; it may have been a
damp or drizzly day. and the clothes
may not be dry when night comes;.
they are to be left out to blow dry in
the night The question in the sub
uros or in the country. where the
clothes would be left on lines stretched
between post set in the ground, is one
mostly of safety, for there they must
be left where they could easily
be stolen by anybody that might
take fancy TO them. In the city,
If you live in q fat, the principal
question is, VIII it be too windy2
for. if it is, the clothespins. when they
work off the line, don't fall on the
grass, but into the fathomless
abyss of the rear area; and If the
washing drops from the line il goes
there, too, or off over some neighbor-
ing roof, or it whips against the poles.
or the blinds, or the fire escape. or it
winds itself around the pulley line so
that the line won't bulge either way
and there the washing is out in tho
air, and you wonder how you are going
10 get it. So il may easily be seen that
in fat il is really question of some
Importance whether the washing
shall be left out or not. and if the
wind rises, IL is still more important to
get it in.
What do you think?' says Mrs
Flatdweller, do you think il is going
TO blow any harder than it does now?'
And you look out at the cold stars
aud take a glance around generally,
and then you say no, you don't think
it is; and after little further deliber-
alton Mrs. Flatdweller decides to leave
'em out; it's pretty breezy. and you can
near 'em now and then swapping in the
wind, but If it doesn't blow up any
more they're all right So you leave
'em out and go to bed.
Along about four o'clock you begin
to dream of the sea story you had read
the night before. OFF Cape Horn in a
bowling gale in winter; cold and snow
and ice; rolling seas and tempests and
danger everywhere; it's your watch be-
low; suddenly you hear somebody
pounding on the companion slide with
a hsndspike, and a moment later you
hear voice shouting down the fo'c's'le
ladder:
"'An starbowlines ahoyl"
That means you; it's all hands to
shorten sail. As you jump from your
bunk you feel somebody pushing on
your shoulder and you hear Mrs. Flat
dweller say:
Ezra. guess you'll have to take
in the clothes
You're awake now and getting into
your boots and garments, not forget
ting your tarpaulin and your sou'west-
er. and q minute later you are on the
fire escape, with Mrs. Flatdweller
sta nding inside to take the things as
YOU hand them in.
Wind a-howling. sheets a-happing.
lrts swapping, pillow cases cracking.
everything cast loose and whipping it
/ self into ribbons, or getting ready to.
/ Rain in torrents and general uproar
everywhere. Whi-ipi comes a sheet
/ across your face and away goes your
/ sou'wester, but you grab the sheet and
/ fist it as you would sail until you
come TO the line; you grab off the
clothespins and sheets and hand it in
/ to Mrs. Flatdweller. No foot ropes
here, so you must bring the sail to
/ you; you overhaul the pulley line,
/ blocks a-creakin' under the strain and
adding to the weirdness. Sail after
sail you get in till you've got it all,
and she's just a-roarin' along under
bare poles.
'tClew garnets and rattlin' stuff
| Topping lifts and bowlinesl In these
degenerate days of teazettles instead
of clipper ships, if a man really wants
a sniff of the salty ocean let him ship
/ in a f1atr'-N. Y. Sun.