Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-04-29
HER BACHELOR SONS FLAT.
How She Fixed II Up Properly for
Him and How He Kept II.

Portable they We're. so when sh
: went TO town she went right TO tn
fiat, although she knew the two younl
: men would be down town at tina
hour. She told her daughter. who &C
, companled her that she was anxious
TO see how attractively the dear boy
kept everything, The janitor looked
at her obviously when she sought adj
: mlttance to the apartment but She
convinced him she was really what
she purported TO be--the mother OF
one of the youths-and so he opened
wide the portals. The twain went
into the library, and there the elderly
lady sank into a chair. with faint
groan, as she looked about her The
chair next TO the one on which she
sat held a clothes brush and pipe.
on the table We're half dozen glasses
containing drop or two of some
dark-colored liquid. A shaving mug
was on the mantelpiece next TO a
Royal Worcester vase The brush was
stuck over q picture; why, she has
never discovered.
on the sideboard there were decan-
tiers with straw In the bottom of
them, as they had arrived from the
glass factory, and four pairs OF trou-
sers, neatly folded, ornamented the
back of an armchair A package Of
I butter. in its thin paper cover, was
/ sitting on n copy Of "The Virglnian,"
screwdriver and n hammer were on
the couch, bathrobe hung over the
screen, towel on the sldeboard The
top of Satsuma vase was lined with
an enormous sponge. A veil OF tobacco
ashes was over all, and between 1000
and 5000 (the mother can not be
sure of these figures, but she is pretty
certain there We're this many cigar
and cigarette stumps were every
where.
The mother took out her handker-
chief and began to weep. And TO
think the boy was brought up in a
home where everything was kept as
neat as pin. / did suppose he had
been inculcated with habits OF de-
cency at least" she sobbed.
"All men are naturally savages.
They are uncivilized at heart, and
when they live in a place where there
are no women to keep them in order
they very quickly relapse into the alb
original state" her daughter remind /
ed her. Then she picked up news
paper and found it contained a box of
crackers. a long bar of CASTLE soap /
and pack of cards.
AT least / can put this place into .
some sort of order for him while I'm
here" declared the elder woman, and
with sudden energy she rose pinned
up her skirt. took off her bonnet tied
her hair in a towel. and went to work.
Go and find that wretched janitor,
and tell him to stay where he can hear
me when can," she commanded. Her
daughter went The linen closet was
found to be fun of preserves, which
she had sent her son TO tide over the
winter She removed these, rescued
the sheets. pillow cases and blankets
from where they were reposing under
Dne Of the beds. and restored them TO
heir own domain again She re-
moved the dog basket from its dan
yerous position in the bathtub and I
1ut in a corner. She busted, she even (
iwept-and 1t took the janitor days
o carry away the cigar stumps. She {
worked three hours. She actually I
lung the pictures that lying face
downward under the table were cry
ng to be hung, and finally, when she
topped to survey the apartments,
he could not but be proud at the !
hange she had wrought Everything !
vas clean and shining as an odd maids !
,arlor. While she was still contem- :
Eating her handiworls the door OPP I
ned to admit her son. t
"By George" said he, after kissing n
Ter. you have made this look like v
mother place. I've been meaning to e
ave a woman come IN and clean up
or the last month, but somehow I've 9
ever done It. It looked particularly !
ad this morning. because we gave n n
title party Hast night What dye do :
Nth the butter?" il
Il gave the butter said his mother d
everely, ito the janitor" u
And see YOU took my shaving I,
rug out .
Certainly. Is the mantelpiece of !,
our library any place for shaving +,
lug?" u
We'll, no. it isn't" agreed the youth, c,
miahly but you see | can see my p
alf better in the mirror over the man ta
,lpiece than l can either in the glass
the bathroom or the one in the bed y
,om But, as you say. 1t wasn't any al
lace for it. Tell you what, Jack will >.
E mighty glad to see things look -
lipshape. What dye do with my 81
ippers that were on the sideboard?" III
Il put them in the bottom of the W
nen closet where they will be near 81
hand and still not conspicuous" cl
so they will That's a great idea. pr
IS wonder l hadn't thought of It, 3
idn't throw out the tobacco that was ",
the cracker jar did you?" w
Certainly not" replied his mother, FIR
DO / ever throw out 10
lything that may be of use? | put tn
in the tobacco jar" tn
Strange, but never cared for that IN
bacco jar for tobacco. II was a ~ ~
indy to keep matches in, though. 90
hat dye do with the matches?" wi
Il put those in the match safes that tn
e tackled here and there on the tic
ais" at
Il never liked those dinky little ar
atch safes; matches always tum- rs IS.
ing out of them like the mischief. ~, rn
me on, let's go to luncheon" he
After luncheon the mother and son
rted amicably, with many injunc-
ms on the maternal side to keep
ings neat thereafter.
In the succeeding two weeks she lo'
ceived from her heir exactly 22 let foI
IS, asking the location of certain col
ticles which she had put away in Sc.
a. 80 ,,.h;.L - ,a,,ar t,aa,, tra