Middletown transcript., 1896-07-25
MiIlard S
Housekeeping

4 SSM o go. my dear, 20
! Iysl GS5 can, just as we
SS6assY4W as not, /" said Mi
eJ%FeS MiIlard, as hi
| AMSEA&Ss wife was bewai
INyAgAlxk ing The impossi
erN- SMSNY billy Of leayin
/ 3zaaEz home 10 visit he
" 'as'sss %ssssi,sae s.s' ..ss ss'
how will you get along when l an
gonefn "As If | could not keep hous
as well as any womanp said Mr.. Mil
lard. indignantly. "That is, if had ;
mind to. 1t would be little strange
if man that could build steam IN
gine. and tame the electricity, and cal
culate the eclipses for hundred of year
to come, could not boil a potato ant
make coffee in poiln
So Mrs. Millard relying upon heI
husbands capacity as household-man.
ager, departed for her mothers. Mr..
Millard invited Jimmy Ramey bach
elor chum of his, to come and board
with him during the absence of Mrs.
Millard. He had boasted of his ability
to manage domestic affairs more than
once to Ramey, and he wanted to
prove that he had not been overrating
bis talent. Mrs. Millard had kindly
offered "to leave something cooked, y
but her husband had objected. So the
young wife gave the bread and cold
meat that were left from breakfast to
a needy tramp, and in consequence
Milliard's cupboard was left bare, lit
orally. Ramey had come over the
nigh6 before to help Millard start out
fair; and when Mrs. Millard was out
Of the house they began planning their
work for the day.
~ am to he at the office at IL, {" said
Millard, 'and its now g.. That gives
US two hours to get the dinner cooking
wash the dishes and do the chamber
work. Dinner will cook while we are
down town, of course. My wife al
ways gets it a-going, and then sits
down to her sewing or fancy work till
its time to put it on the table. Ramey.
did it ever strike you that women have
an all-fired easy time of iip"
''Of course they have" said Ramey
with emphasis; anybody could see
that. with half an eye. Yet they're
always complaining of being over
worked"
Millard seized the boiling teaket'le
from the stove, but dropped it instan-
taneously, and the water ran into the
coal in the hod, and under the mat,
and under the door into the dining
room.
"Or-G-Hl" cried Millard, blowing
and Rubbing his scalded wrist, it must
have been the steam. C0nfound the
thing! I didn't think of the steam.
Good gracious! the waters running all
over the house. Give me rag, quick
III mop it up.''
He seized the Gne damask table cloth
which Ramey handed him from a
drawer, got down on his knees. and
sopping up the water.
"Your coat-tailsare in the coal hoo, !"
cried Ramey. "By Georgti it'sloo bad,
and that delecate gray, tool' Millard
got up with a hurried wlisk of The
,ails aforesaid, and they swept fiye-
lollar china tureen from the table, and
broke it into fragments.
sit never rains but it pours,o said
Millard, striving hard To keep his tenn
Der, as he surveyed the wet black
treaks on his coat. "f'Il send the coat
o my uncle in the country, and say
Nothing TO Anne about it. We've
made rather bad beginning, Jim. but
We shall come out all right. And we'll
wash the dishes in cold water"
(which will you do, wash or wipe2'
.sked Ramey.
II II wash, because ] have got an
pron on" said Millard, as he piled the
lishes into the PAN Eiscellantously,
ins and chiIa altogether, and dashed
ONE cold water ON them.
Where's the dish-cloth I wonder? 2"
'oking around under the sink, and
to light calico rag, which
lad evidently been nsed to clean lamps.
"Wbat in the dickens is it that
mells SO strong of kerosene2n asked
samey shifting the air suspicionsly.
I wonder If I've got any ON my
lothes?n glancing around behind him,
nd examining the skirts of his coat.
BY Jove, Millard, its your dish clothl +
rhe oil is fairly DIR piping out of it. .
- II
Millard THREW it on the tioor with a
gesture Of disgust. and substituted
he tow ell the had just wiped their
lands on. The cold water flew in
very direction, but the grease did not
tart on the dishes. Ramey sng-
'ested soap, which slightly mended
matters, but not entirely satisfactory.
Seems to me the dishes don't feel nor
nell just as they do when Anne
washes them. !" said Millard, thought
ully; "but then perhaps it is imagipa-
lon. Now, Jim, What shall We have
or dinner?n
Perhaps it had better bpa simple ne
i'll We get the hang Of things little,n
aid Jim, with caution. .sWhat do |
GU say to chicken-pie, tenderlo n
teak. a custard pudding, and son Q
light hot biscnit2n i,
"Admirablel Nothing could lie
eiter or simpler. | will go out al d
~. 1