Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-11-12
: EXCESS OF ZEAL.

Bridget had tal,on tho opportunity dur.
ing her mistress absence from home TO
thoroughly clean the house from tho gar.
rot to the cellar,
1t was u small compact little place Just
large enough for two people, and as Bridg-
81 had remarked 70 her friend, tho next
door general, - Where there's only two
iu the family and the washing Is given out
4 Is easy to manage, and tho furniture
and carpets all being now, and the mistress
not ono Of thcm worriting kind, but sim
ulc and easy 70 please, she and master nrc
more like puir Of children with eyes only
for their two selves, 1 just docs my work
when and how l Ike"
An this was very true, but Bridget was
o really smart, Woodworking servant and
kept tho small house in n state Of pcricc-
ton so far rs cleanliness went
On this occasion she had surpassed her
self. Tho carpets had been taken up,
shaken and laid down again, paintings
washed aud the stainings rubbed with tur-
pentinc and becswax until the floor shonc
Tho small kitchen had been freshly
cleaned and looked pretty and coy In the
freight
There remained nothing for the oncr-
getio little maid to do but to take her well
her master and mistress,
When In an evil hour her eyes fell on
her mistress bicycle, 1t spoiled the look Of
the hall in Bridget's opinion, The little
stand shone with rubbing and everything
IN the hail except tho bicycle had had
taste Of Bridget dustcr or broom.
"Why | shouldn't clean IL and know
better how to clean it than the mistress
beats me What do you say, Thomas
Thomas replied merely by nrching his
back, erecting his hushy tail and purring
Loudly. 81 have seen, she went on, "thc
mistress turning the thing upside down
and cleaning 1t with oil. | never noticed
rightly whore she put tho oil, but l think
it was on the black part. Anyhow, Thorn
MS parrannc oil never hurt nothing, and
tho mistress ought to he real obliged to
me, so she ought, for cleaning it for her,
not that | engaged to do such thing of
the sort--a man work | call it--and I'd
like the hall all to match, so to speak. "
So saying she caretully carried the bicy-
ole over the shining oilcloth, as truly
enough the wheels were rather muddy,
and erected it upside down on its stand in
the small yard "pleaty of parra1nc," re-
marked Bridget to the cat, taking tin
dish and pouring liberal supply OF oil
into It,
Thomas rubbed himself against her
apron approyingly. She then dipped the
cloth into the oil and proceeded vigorously
to rub oil the dust
al have seen the mistress use parralnc,
for she often asked me for a crock Of 1t
So am doing no harm, that's ono good
thing. But l am not rightly sure II she
puts 10 ON this indian rubber wheel.
What good for the goose Is good for the
gander, eh, Thomasl" And she took n fresh
helping OF tho oil and proceeded to rub it
IN we'll.
"NowW Bridget sighed with satisfac-
tion. ''If that doesn't look clean-but
drat the thing. can't get the wheel to
dryi III just put it near the kitchen fire,
now that there's no dust on it, 1t won't
spoil the floor, and it will be dry before
they come in.
She placed 1t again ON its stand but not
too close.
"Im no fool, ;" she observed 81 don't
want to burn the thing-but what's thatg"
She started ncryously. 1T never can be
the gate. / never minded the hour, and
now won't have time to get the bicycle
back - there they are, sure enough.
Bridget closed the door Of the kitchen and
came to meet her mistress.
we'll SIluGtt, hili u iTesll, young
voice. ~ see you have been having a
spring cleaning-tho house looks lovely
80 clean and bright, and such delicious
smell Of turpontine. l like the smell SO
much, don't you, Harry"
~ don't know about that, dear" said
Harry, at smells more like paraiiln. But
what about dinner, Bridget Is it ready"
"Oh, yes, sir, fried sole-soup, l mean,
frst-and curry and pnrratlne.
And what" said Harry-"you seem
to have paraflln ON tho brain-what is
that awful smcllg"
"!t's--it's the bicycle" stammered
Bridget. Its all right, she concluded,
idiotically backing toward the kitchen.
what bicycle-thc girl $ gone crazy"
Don't Harry" said his wife quietly.
"You brighten Bridget. Let her explain.
Where is my bicycle, BrldgctY Have you
lifted II into the kitchen while you wcro
cleaningY 1t does not matter, she added
kindly, "if you We're careful about it,
Eyes, mum, l knew you would be
pleased, and | cleaned It too"
~ wish, my dear, said Harry, lyon
would forbid any one touching your ma
chine. will help you to clean 1t. You
never know he stopped Mortified as his
vito opened the kitchen door and exposed
the nearly cooked machine.
For all the world like roasting jack, -
thought Bridget II said to Thomas, |
said that was what was good for tho -
"She said TO Thumas-who have you
had in horeY' said Harry in voice OF
thunder, as he lifted the badly used ma
chine away from the fire and discovered
the snd condition OF the tires. You have
ruined It, wonder Thomas, whoever he
is, had not more sense, Can't You speak,
woman. Who helped You in this hopeless
piece Of idiocyg'
Thomas " remarked his wife sis tho
cat, and there is no uso saying any more
"Yuu know, " she turned to the weeping
girl, II desired you not to touch my ma
chine, not oven to dust it, and IL is u little
hard voice shook slightly rs she
spol;c-"to lind it utterly ruined all
through ignorance and disobedience. But
will try and induce your master TO for
give you, she added IN a low tone, 'ai
the accident happened through an cEces.
Of zeal Marian West In Lady Cyclist.