The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1898-04-01

COST OF A HIRED NAN.


IL7HEN Mr.. Williams was hurrying
wv past Mr.. Welles' house he found
Henry, Mr.. Welles' hired man, eliminat-
ing plantains from the front lawn. Mr..
Williams called them plantains, al
though possibly that is not their boz
tanical name. Whether correctly or In
correctly denominated, they are d hardy
sort of weed, with large, hat-ly1ng
leaves and tall masts on which the seeds
for next years crop grow in such way
rs to make the stalks look like rat-tatl
files. AS one weed Of the present year
offers in evidence spawn which prom
Uses a thousand-fold multiplication for
the ensuing summer they are a thing to
be dreaded by all suburbanites who love
the patch Of green which fronts their
houses. Mr.. Williams had been worried
about the plantains for several days
and seeing Henry engaged in the worthy
nursuit of discriminating them he en-
gagged him in conversation on the gen
eral subject of caretaking, wedding
lawu trimming and the Like.
Henry said: 'Why, you don't take
my boy. Ais'r Williams an hat him
take care dem place all time? He's ~
wear old an work good. Chop wood an
turn ice cream freezer. Make garden
an, ten fires. Do everything. let MN
90 to YOU for $50 year, you board HIM"
They had some further conversation
concerning Joe and the good thing 1t
would be for Mr.. Williams to engage
him ms man of a!l work, and the suburb
mite went down to his house hall an
hour afterward with brilliant new
idea to unfold to his wife
"I'll tell you," he said, this business
of me running clothes and losing time IN
digging up the weeds and rinsins on
the lawn is great mistake when you
come to think of it. With that big BOY
of Henry's at $50 year you and could
have ten times us much leisure 70 speno
together as we have now. Pshaw! l
get I'M in the morning, and while wait
mo for breakfast go out and mend the
si5awnlk. And when come home from
the city at night have to gallop to the
iawn hose SO as to get the place well
spripkled before the policeman comes
around to say it's time to quit using the
water for that purpose. We haven |. hao
a ride on the wheels for ever 50 long,
have we?"
mo" Mrs. Williams answered, and
7 think it's a shame-this nice weather.
You're always suffering in the garden
or propping up the trees or flushing
the drain or trimming the vines. Fifty
dollars a year would be just nothing
and vou see YOU would be exempt from
ali that kind OF thing? i hate to see
YOU pushing an old lawn-mower up ana
down when you ought to be sitting nack
in a rocking chair on the porch telling
me about town" 1880,
.But. do you think" Mr.. Williams
pursued, that we would have enough
work to keep Henry's boy busy all the
time? AS 1t is, just the little bit OF lawn
moving and the odd jobs would not
amount to much. There would be no
economy in keeping big, husky tel-
low around only for that. l thougnt
that perhaps If we hired Joe we might
ne Wen get that horse we have been
toJ.inp about for SO long time. Joe
would have plenty of time to take care
of n horse and keep one sleek and nice.
And whenever you'd want to 80 riding
ali you'd have to do would be to call the
man and In o minute he would come
around with the rig as big as lie: 1ou
could come down to the train ana mee's
me-" ,.,..,..
away