The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-23

my nerves I'm tired. I'm sick of it. don't
want to raise my hand TO do a solitary
blessed thing-not so much as the decent
combing of my own hair. Honest, 1T down.
right rests me to muss things up. To pull
things around, and then sit on the top with
my hands folded. Do you know, Lizzy," low
ering her voice confidentially. honest. be-
lieve housekeeping had its origin in some
kindred Unborn human trait"
The trim little visitor looked in a puzzled
and troubled way at the speaker. Mary
she said, MARY. believe you're getting
original
The latter laughed as she dug again into
the basket by her side. "Oh, no, I'm not.
Nothing of the kind. I'm perfectly normal,
1 assure you. Only you don't know how
comfortable it is to put on some disgraceful
old things, pin something over your head
and just go to work tearing things up. You
see, Lizzy, you don't have to. You couldn't,
not if you wanted to ever so much; there's
the looks of things for you. Toby would look
down on you, and Frances would leave be-
cause you failed to show her proper respect
as a mistress. You have a position you
see. haven't-thank goodness"
She glanced absently out of the window at
the strings of gay paper lanterns, at the
bright piles of cushions on the broad rail-
ing of the large house across the way.
Our ways have grown wide apart, Lizzy.
Bob and 1 must take our vacations at home.
1t seems as though there was never time to
slip away for a few weeks. Our summer
vacation is. always just one year ahead.
And sometimes the perfectly even round of
even the best housekeeper as you will
persist In calling me. gets terribly on my
nerves. Just the sight Of the dishes placed
neatly in their everlasting places on the
spotless cloth, makes me long to get up and
sh them on the wall opposite, and Til
ly's neat little 'yesm,' and her spotless
aprons, make me wild to damage her with
the jam tarts. It's a sort of spiritual self
fretting, don't you think so? It's so perfectly
irrational! Sounds rather high flown. to be
sure. But it does seem something so alb
normal to my everyday commonplace view
of things"
The other smiled gently, 81 know what 1t
is, Mary. It's just deathly sickness of rou-
tine. I've had it. good and hard. Yes 1
have. too.' as the other looked at her.
There are times, when everything seems
gently sliding down hill, when I'd simply
quake that would shake things up and
change the arrangement of the furniture
The other nodded gratefully. That's It.!
That's one of my let go spells. They are
just like heart rests to me, they keep my
organ of housekeeping from being over
strained
The visitor arose hastily, glancing up at
the long grandfather's clock, that she al
ways coveted for the niche on the landing
at home. land 1 ran in just for the mo-
ment," she commented, ito ask you to be
sure and come early so you might have time
TO set The seal of your approval on my ar
rangements before the others came. sup
pose Toby has been down flirting with
Josephine for at least fifteen minutes
But. Mary" she said. gayy, as she shook
out her petticoats with a crisp crinkle of
starch. "you may just get up on your neat
ness pedestal again. You're just human.
after all, dear-that's ALL" AS she passed
with her crisp rustic. she stopped, with a
delicate bird-like movement. and dropped a
kiss on the half-fastened coil of hair Then
she passed swiftly. leaving the woman sew
ing by the window F.F.