The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-08-19
CULTURE IN MAINE.
II Has Singular Eject ON the LaHn-
dryman, the HOosemaid and
the Cook.

'SThe next time go to Maine" said
the girl, pausing to chat while she
unpacked her trunk, relates the
New York Sun, Il take with me a
complete celIulOid outfit, so as to
snap my fingers at laundry agents
and the like With water. water
everywhere on the coast of Maine.
you'd think it would be easy to get
your washing done, but it isn't
"On the island where I was stay
ing the first week all my things were
shipped OF miles and miles away to
Portland, or Boston or Bath The
laundry agent was a most obliging
and delightful boy, a son Of an
American ambassador or something
equally imposing. and true, thrifty
Yankee. He was putting himself
through some university by this
cieanly summer pursuit And it was
a pursuit, if pursuit means hunting
for lost things
''WeII. he took my things Monday,
called at the cottage in person. dis
cussed affabIy the social news of the
island. partook Of the ginger ale our
host brought out and then went of
with our bundles under his arm Sat
urday he brought back what there
was. It was a very meager display
lot of my things didn't turn up at
all, and all the hooks had been ripped
OF one of my waists, in an excess of
zeal, for fear they would rust The
agent was very sympathetic. I de-
scribed the things ! was shy on It
did seem funny. but he never cracked
smile; he just jotted down de-
, scriptions Of the missing things in
T his little memorandum book and
promised TO look them up.
You see he went everywhere and
I met him at every tack and turn
ignored his laundry career at dances
and cIambakes and such places. but I
am told there were girls who tackled
him boldly during the pauses of the
Boston dip. or when they were tipped
up on the edge of a catboat with
him, or anywhere, about things
trimmed with Hamburg and others
ruffied and edged with torchOn.
Il used to assail him on the wharf
when the express boat came in. He
was really such very nice boy and
took no end of pains One by one
nv things trickled back. He would
come up to me on the wharf. bare
headed. his eyes beaming and his
teeth cleaning.
GOOD morning. there's a petit
coat just in, looks like yours he
would say: or I've had letter about
that stock. it's been found. 1t will
be along in a day or two
Once he came up very confidently
70 know if 1 had pink ribbon run in
anything. as there was corset cover
seeking an owner and he thought 4
might be she, although he remem-
bered 1 never sent things without
taking the ribbons out Nice - he
was. though. couldn't pa onTze his
old laundry, so / tried various other
evils.
Speaking of the polite little laun-
dry agent makes me think of the lot
of people down IN Maine who work
at anything during the summer 10 20
to college during the other nine
months The man who ran the trunk
delivery business was a senior al
some university, a terror in LatiT
and Greek. suppose. and he certain
ly was a wizard with the trunks He
didn't look at the checks until he got
10 your house. and then he general
ly would find he had mixed things
used TO moralize TO myself sometime:
as to whether educated service is a.
good as the plain straight kind.
For instance. the housemaid a
: the cottage where 1 stayed knew
lot you didn't expect her to know
but from one TO two things m
hostess let drop fancy Ida fel
short in the things she was expecte,
TO know. One day at dinner one o
the children asked her father tn
French for crumb. He couldn't tel
her. although he was educate,
abroad. We all tried but none of u
:, could reeolleet the word After din
! ner Alice. the little girl. came out an
asked her father if miette was no
the French for crunb.
!, That's the word 1 was trying I
!. think Of he said. Who told you2'
1T seems it was Ida who knew
She got hold of Alice after Dime
= and said I wanted to tell YOU at III
! table, Miss Alice, but, of course.
!. couldn't speak then Ida had Studio
: French for four years and Germa
: for three in some New England hig
school and had aspirations TO teac
modern languages.
The cook. we discovered, went i
> for pure English. We overheard I'd
; one day describing q mans appear
ance TO the cook
He's a short. fat man, sunburne,
: and generally he wears cap an
n white pants he said
> Trousers the cook said. in
4 really Mortified tone. and Ida Iearne
4 straightway that pants is a vulya
p contraction. and one which the COO
hated to hear anyone use.
But culture and pure EnVl;s
didn't hurt the cooks art. 1 wish 70
could have tasted her lobster Ne,
burg, or her blueherry cake or her