Crawford avalanche., 1900-04-12
MAKING ICE At HOME.
Howe Yeu Like to Be the Icemar asd Have
Women Treating you Thusp

II was time for the frozen pudding,
and the frozen pudding didn't appear.
The hostess talked on nervously, the
guests seconded her efforts by brilliant
sallies and elaborate Inconsistencies.
the host, being only a man. trans
gressed every written and unwritten
law of etiquette by asking pertinent
question.
my dear" he inquired gently, what
Is the matter with the next courseY'
"Well, IL you must know" answered
his wife. with flushed face and
scarcely yelled asperity. ''the ice hasn't
quite finished freezing!'
The husband looked amazed and
mystifed. All the other men In the
company followed suit But the wo-
men rose one and all to the occasion
nobly and trilled out merrily In chorus
"Oh DO you do it too?" they all
cried.
1--WE done it every winter for five
years." single voice separated itself
from the others by exclaiming.
1--WE done it for nine," IA second
voice proclaimed proudly.
II never think of buying ice in cold
weather." this from a third.
The men looked more mystlfied than
ever.
Il don't want to seem too curious,
ladies'" spoke up the host meekly,
after a moment or two, but what
have you all done for so long?"
made ice for ourselves" cried the
women In chorus again.
A whole chapter of amusing stories
ana anecdotes followed, in the course
of which the frozen pudding made its
appearance, was eaten, followed by the
dessert and coffee, and forgotten.
THE first time l thought of making
ice" said the first speaker, my ice
book was just out, and l had only a
solitary S. bill to last me nearly
week. l kept house on an allowance
at that time, and my other supplies
We're very low also. 1t was bitter
sold morning, and as l waited for the
iceman to come up the back stairs with
his little lump of chilliness a brilliant
idea occurred to me. ] paid him cash
for the portion of ice l took that day,
and the same evening | went to work
with an old tin biscuit box and pail
of water. l poured the water into the
box and set it out on the fire escape.
Next morning it was frozen solidly, of
course, and / didn't buy any ice that
day or the next. In fact, I've never
bought any since just as long as the
thermometer registers freezing wealth
err
II used an old wooden box, with
heavy wrapping paper folded inside,
double, to keep the water from leaking
out of the corners of the box until 1t
begins TO freeze" said another woman.
"And l find an oval dish pan the
best" explained another.
"And l." the woman who now ex-
pressed herself so in a voice fairly
tremulous with pride, II have had
tin box made on purpose, just the
shape and size of my ice box. You
haven't any idea how well it works.
My iceman knows l get ice from some
one besides himself, but he's never
been able to find out where or how.
Consequently he doesn't dare to laugh
right out, as he would If he knew the
truth"
my iceman knows the truth, all
right enough" laughed merry look
ing woman at the other end of the ta-
BILE. ''The fire escapes on our building
look too funny for anything, all COW
cred with boxes and pans and all sorts
of contrivances for holding water these
days. The iceman jokes us all about
it, too, when we have to call him in,
but it's no use. Everybody in our
building got the economy streak in the
worst form long ago, when first the
talk Of hard times began, and we've
been doing our own freezing ever
ce."-Chicago Times-Herald.