The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-02
A WASHING DAY.

generally windy unless IL happens TO
storm, which it is quite likely to do.
Mrs. Tibbs lifted her hands from the
suds and felt of her crimping pins to make
sure that none of them had slipped out, for
the sewing society met that afternoon, and
she wanted to look well, and she remarked
with emphasis that she wished to heavens
that it didn't always blow like sixty on
washing DAYS" And she added as q me
neurological fact that sit blowed last Mon
day and week ago last Monday too. -
Mr.. Tibbs was reading an article on the
tariff, the writer of which had proved con-
clusively to Ar. Tibbs' mind that if the
present tariff continued the bottom of all
things would fall out inside of six months,
and the paper he had read before breakfast
contained an article which had shown him
just as clearly that if the existing tariff
should be changed creation would go to
everlasting smash in the twinkling of a
cats tail.
Tibbs scratched his head and gave vent
to his perplexed state of mind by exclaim-
ing, 'Naal, by iinnby, don't see what
man can dor
I'm teIlkyou what to do" said Mrs
Tfbbs, whirling the clothes wringer round
with viii as she ground out the grist of
Tibbs' shirts and drawers into the clothes
basket. You go ard put up that clothes
line and hang out them clothes. The wind
her feet. -
Tibbs rose reluctantly All men dread
the clothesltne racket. 1t is trying to the
masculine nerves. Tibbs put his hand to
his back and volunteered the information
that he guessed he was going to have an
other spell of lum bago into his spine
Mrs. Tibbs was not in the slightest de-
gree interested in Mr.. Tibbs' gloomy an
ticipations, but went on wrestling with
the clothes wringer and scattering the
sOapsuds in every direction.
Mr.. Tibbs put ON his hat, buttoned his
coat, tied his neck up in a red muffler and
shivered ''Seems to me- he remarked,
f'that feel a touch Of that old sciatica in
my hip joint
Now, you put that clothesline up
tight, said Mrs. Tibbs,. entirely ignoring
his observation. Last week the sheets
dragged on the ground, and had to rinse
'em over. Pull it tight. Mind the hooks
don't come out Of the posts Be careful of
it where it's tied. Put up the Oldest part
Of the line under the pear tree for the
towels, and don't go to hanging out them
clothes in none of your slipshod ways,
Tibbs. Hang all the stockings feet down.
Put Annie's flannel petticoat in the sun
and hang it square Pull them tablecIoths
out around the hens after you get 'eHa on to
the line. Pin the cOlored things Oh with
them oldest clothespins, for they'll mildew
under the shirts, SOS the holes won't show.
Folks is allus staring at clothesline. Put
that embroidered nightgown of mine next
to the street. Mind, now, and not set the
basket sos it'll tip over.
And in the midst of it Tibbs went out,
with bag of elothespins and the line in
one hand and the basket balanced on the
opposite hip, and the water which the
wringer had not squeezed out running
down over his leg in little rills There had
been some snow, and then, by way Of va
riety, there had been some rain, and then
it had frozen, and the footing was exceed
inRly slippery and insecure. Tibbs soon
found that beyond doubt that passage Of
Scripture which tells us that 1.-The feet of
the wicked stand on slippery places is
true. He had great difficulty in prevent
ing himself from going down the side hill,
where the clothes posts were located, faster
than he wanted. OF course the line was
full Of kinks, which is a family trait of
clotheslines, and Tibbs skinned his hands
by pulling the line through them to get
out the kinks, and when he got mad and
banged the board on which the offending
line was wound against the wood pile he
barked his hpuckles and tore of one cor
ner Of his thumb nail
Mrs. Tibbs and her cousin, Sally Green,
who had dropped in for morning call,
were looking out of the window to see how
he was getting along, and they both laugh
ed at his nlishap and said that was just
like man.
Mr. Tibbs got desperate. He took his
pocketknife and severed the line in its
kinkiest part, and, having tied up one piece
of it, he began to hang up the clothes. Ee
had his mouth fail of elothespins, just as
he had noticed Mrs. Tibbs always had her
mouth on such occasions, and he slapped
the clothes on to the line with will
a
Tibbs stuck out her head.
Turn that shirt t other side upl Don't
hang them sheets by the CORNERS! Put the
towels on that old linel Don't hang them
flannel drawers of Toms up by the legsl
Pull out that edging on Mary AIMS skirt!
Lock out, there-you' We stepped right into
the clothes basket What fools men arei
I knowed you'd make mess of it! wish
I'd hung 'em up myself If I had blowed
to Guinea in doing iti'
Tibbs discharged the clothespins and be-
gan to swear. 1t relieved his mind. He
got the other piece of line and fastened one
end Of it TO the post, then he gave a good
pull on it to make sure it was tight, and
it parted antdships, and the sudden let !
go upset Tibbs' equilibrium, and in spite
Of himself he went rolling down the icy
hill like an empty -four barrel.
Mrs. Donovan's pet goat was enjoying |
little feast on a batch of old tomato cans !
and some discarded oilcloth carpets half
way down the hill, and when she saw
Tibbs coming she quit the oilcloth and |
charged on him, with all her batteries |
open, SO to speak
1t was an exciting scene, and it was
made still more 50 by the appearance of |
Mrs Donovan, with the mop, and Dono- |
vans two dogs, barking their lOudest and |
they took samples Of Tibbs' pantaloons
Tibbs doesn't hang out clothes now |
Exchange.
Dangers OF the Baltic.
There IL no part of the world which has
sueh black record for wrecks as these mar
roVY Ralfia gaaz The MN bar in some |