The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-26

1--WE will not let it go one hour,
madam. This matter of inves tfgation
has been put off altogether too long. L
will change my clothes and be at 1t
in ten minutes"
but it is an extra big wash" she
protested as last weapon, land L
doubt if q woman could do it in one
day
''Then all the more reason why i
should take hold"
Ten minutes later Mr.. Bowser was
ready for business. He had heard
about family washings ever since he
was six years old, and he hadn't the
slightest doubt of his ability in that
direction. He ordered Mrs. Bowssr to
remain away from the kitchen. and his
first move was to draw one of the
cram all the clothes into it. In dim
way he had heard of washing COM
pounds. and after a brief hunt he got
hold of a box. It was labeled Baking
Powder" plain enough, but it looked
like washing soda to him. and in it
went to make the clothes wash easier.
In a dim way he had also heard OF
bluing. He had no doubt that it ought
to go in on top of the baking powder
and that it ought to be used in liberal
quantities, and he went ahead. When
fiannels ard cottons and soap and
bluing and baking powder had been
well stirred up together, Mr.. Bowser
got out the washboard and his rub-a-
dub-dub was heard in the sitting room
above.
Nothing hard about this he unused.
as he gave a sheet three or four rubs
and then foDped it over into another
tub to be rinsed later on. ANY woman
who would be all day doing this wash
would simply loaf half her time away"
At that moment Mrs Bowser looked
in on him, and after one sight of the
clothes in the tub she exclaimed:
Good gracious, but you are going
to dye everything biue! I knew the
clothes would be spoiled if you fooled
with them, and now
And now, Madam Bowser," he in
terrupted, you retire and leave me
alone. 1 am doing this washing and
am financially responsible for all dam
ages. When 1 am through 1 will ask
for your criticism
But you've put in baking powder
instead of washing soda!" she said as
she caught sight of the empty box.
Yes, I guess I did, he slowly re-
piled, but it was an experiment and
will turn out all right. Get along. now.
and don't bother me. 7 want to make
a record with this washing
He had been left alone five minutes,
and had rubbed out another sheet and
begun on a towel, when he happened
to think about starch He knew that
starch came in somewhere, but wheth-
er in the beginning or the end he
couldn't remember. The only way was
to take chances. and he got down the
pound paper and poured half its con-
tents into the tub.
There was a pasty, but not unpleas-
ant feeling to the water as he con-
tinued to souse and rub and flop, and
according to his best belief he had
hit the nail on the head. If Mrs. Bow
ser had let him alone he would have
finished the wash in an hour, as he had
discovered that about four rubs and a
flop was enough for even a sheet or
tabfecloth, but ten minutes after her
first call she was hack again to say:
You must have been putting oat-
meal in the water. Everything there
will be ruined before you get through.
My stars, but you have used bluing
enough for forty washingsi''
Woman, will you let me alone!" he
shouted in reply as he held up pillow