The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-19
YOUNG MANS HOUSEKEEPING

had together, and how comfortable they
were in it, so that when she went up TO
town she went right TO the fiat, although
she knew that the two young men would
be downtown at that hour. She said TO
her daughter that she was anxious to see
how attractively the dear boys kept ev-
erything.
The janitor looked at her obviously
when she sought admittance TO the apart
nent. but presently she convinced him
that she was really what she purported
20 be-the mother of one Of the youths
and so he opened wide the portals for
her. The twain went at once into the
library. and there the eIde-ly lady sa. k
into chair with faint groan and looked
about her
The chair next to the one on which she
sat held clothes brush and pipe. On
the o2ble were half a dozen glasses con-
:ctnins drop or TWO Of some dark-col-
ted LII. \ shaving mug was on the
mante3-piV"e next 10 a royal Norcerter
vase The brush was stuck over q pc
ture; why. size has never discovered
on the sideboard there Were decanters
with straw IL the bottom Of them. as
they had arrived from the glass factory
and four pairs Of trousers, neatly folded,
ornamented the back Of the armenian. a
pat of butter, in its thin paper cover, was
sitting on copy Of The Virsinian';
Screwdriver and hammer were on the
touch, q bath-obe hung over the screen.
a towel on The sideboard. The top Of a
q tsuma vase was filed with an enor-
nssus sponge.
"a veil of tobacco ashes was over all.
ami between 600 and 5000 0he mother
carnot be sure Of these figures, but she
is p9etty certain there were this many
cigar and cigarette stumps were every
where.
( The mother took out her handkerchief
i and began TO weep quietly. And TO think
that the boy was brought up in home
where everything was kept as neat as
new pin. L did suppose he hao been in
culcated with habits Of decency. at least,
SIC sobbed.
All men are naturally savages They
are uzciviized at hearr, and when they
live in a place where there are no women
10 keep them in order. they very quickly
relapse into their aborig -nal state her
daughter reminded her Then she picked
up a newspaper and found that ii con-
tanned a box Of crackers. a long bar Of
CASTLE soap and a pack of playing cards.
AT least. 1 can put this place into some
sort of order for him while I am here,
declared the elder woman. and, with sud
den energy. she rose. pinned up her skirt.
tok off her bonnet, tied her hair in
towel, and went TO work.
Go and find that wretched janitor and
tell him to stay where he can hear me
when 1 CALI she commanded Her daugh-
ter went.
The linen closet was found TO be fun Of
preserves, which she had sent her son to
tide him over the winter. She removed
these. rescued the sheets. pillow-cases and
blankets from where they were reposins
under one OF the beds fat on the floor and
restored them TO their own demesne
its dangerous position in the bathtub and
again She removed the dog basket from
put it in a corner. She busted. she even
swept-and it took the janitor ages TO
carly away the cigar stumps. She worked
threse hours She actually hung the pic
tur,es that lying face downward under
the table. were crying to be hung, and,
finally. when she stopped to survey the
apartments. she could not but be proud
AZ lHG EllGLSf sic 4AtAA HANNA7--|" 49,
thing was clean and shining as an old
maids paTlor
Z While she was still contemplating her
handiwork the door opened TO admit her
son.
by George" said he, after kissing her,
You have made this look Ike ano her
place. I've been meaning to have a wom-
an come IN and clean it up for the past
month. but somehow I've never done IL
i looked particularly bad this morning
because We gave l little party last night
Vhatdye do with the BUTTER"
I gave the butter" said his mother,
severely, Ito the janitor
And I see you took my shaving mug
out
Certainly. Is the mantlepiece Of your
library any place for a shaving mug?"
wen. no. isn't" agreed the youth. ami
ably. but. you see. I can see myself
better in the mirror over the uantelp!ece
than can either the glass IN the bath
room or the one IN the bedroom. But. as
You say, it wasn't any place for it. Tell
YOU what, Jack VIII be mighty glad to
see things looking shipshape. Whatd'ye
d. with my slippers that were on the
sideboard?"
r put them in the bottom Of the linen
closet. where they viii be near at hand
snd stu not conspicuous
so they viii That's a great idea It's
a wonder I hadn't thought of IT, Didn't
throw out the tobacco that was in the
cracker jar. did you2"
Certainly not. replied his mother, re-
proachfully DO / ever throw out any
tl.ihg that may be Of use. I put it in the
p-baeco jar
TStrange bat never cared for that to-
I sceo jar for tobacco. Il was a dandy
rs keep matches in. though Whatd'ye
do with the matches
II put those in the matchsafes that
arr tackled here and there on the walls.
II never liked those dinlZy little match
< sIses. matches always tumbling out OF
them like the mischief Come on. let's
g - luncheon
After luncheon the mother and son
parted amicabiy, with many injuncuons
or the maternal side 70 keep things neat
thereafter.
In the succeeding two weeks she re-
ceived from her heir twenty-five letters
exactly asking the location OF certain ar
tioles which she had put away in the
fat, and which had neve. been found.
When the twenry-sec0nd one came she
made her arrangements and went UP 10
town To answer il person Again il was
morning and again she went directly
70 the faJ. interviewed the jaritor and
was admitted. she looked in the library.
The shaving mug was on the naarreiDiecs