Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-09-15

again to the kitchen and borrowed the
step ladder from the cook Also, he
stopped at his writing desk and took
along the bottle of library paste, with
these things he disappeared into bis
own room, the door OF which he locked
"That ceiling" he said, "has never
been to my liking. shall paper it to
suit myself" Then the ladder was
put in position, pile of stamps
placed on the top, together with the
bottle Of paste, and the work of cover.
ing the ceiling with cancelled postage
stamps began. The task was not fin
ished that day, nor the next, and the
servant was excluded from the room,
the Mere Man giving it out that he
was engaged on a most important
literary production and did not wish
his papers disturbed. At the end of
the week he permitted his wife to in
spect his achievement. "There," he
said, indicating the ceiling, ais an il
lustrstion of the wisdom OF saving the
veriest trifies. Nothing is useless. DO
you note the grateful pink glow which
the stamped ceiling throws over the
room?"
81 do," responded his wife, "but I
advise you not to let the agent OF this
property note it,"
One day the wife OF the Mere Man,
engaged in Q periodical housecleaning,
threw out worn and shrunken pair
Of duck trousers and q discolored
leather belt, which the man had worn
past their usefulness. "These, Nellie"
she said, "you may send down with
the other trash"
The Mere Man fairly trembled.
"Never!" he cried. "Give them to
me. Nothing is altogether useless" !"
About half the length of one duck leg
he cut into . narrow strip, the shape
Of the despised belt. Then he bor-
rowed Q fiat iron, q nail and hammer
and put holes in both the duck and
the leather by laying them on the
iron and driving the nail through
them. After this it was easy to place
q hook by the washstand. 81 have
long been needing a new razor strop,"
said the Man." and here it is. No use
of buying thing when you have it
already at hand"
Utility had now come to be disease
with the Mere Man. al shall save
this wornout dress coat" he remarked
one day. 81 had intended giving it
to the boy, but think of better use
to put it to-"
Then he appropriated an animal
head that had belonged to his wife's
boa and that the moths had got into.
Twenty-Five cents worth OF gilt paint,
and he was ready for decorative work.
The collar Of the coat he attached by
thread to the animal head, and the
arrangement was spread out on the
floor OF his room. Diagonal stripes of
gilt were applied, and tho thing was
done. "The most extraordinary rug
in the world" declared the Mere Man,
at the conclusion OF his labors, and his
wife agreed with him.
81 do not exactly like the idea OF
having my washstand in such plain
view," one day declared the Mere
Man, who was becoming most par
ticular.
"Why not put . screen in front OF
it?" suggested his wife. "They may
be had for dollar"
"a SCREEN" said the Mere Man, is
the very thing. But not a bought
screen. Have you sent that broken
csoPAouuot away yCs'
"No." replied his wife, {" l told the
boy to take it away, but with his usual
procrastination he has not done so."
He shall not take it," decided the
man. 81 will use it myself in my
own way" So he arranged the step
ladder in the position he wished it,
and pasted between its spaces various
oolored pages from the newspapers
and magazines. "This," he said, 81
consider the most artistic thing I have
yet done in the way OF wooing the
Beautiful"
Later achievements are worthy Of
mention.
From several egg boxes the Mere
Man has fashioned useful desks, the
hundreds of separate compartments
answering for pigeon holes, in which
various matter is stored.
From barrels that have been thrown
away he tacks calico around, and
with use OF brass tacks and gilt paint
he brings forth center tables of various
styles aud designs.
An old bath sponge has been thor
oughly dampened and cucumber seeds
scattered freely through it, so that it
is now green and unacceptable, and
will probably bear an abundant crop
next season.
A disused tea kettle has been COM
bined with a broken crib and filled
with hot water to furnish the baby
with q steam fire engine. An out.of.
shape valise has been filled with earth
and seedlings and suspended from the
gas jet in the form of a hanging gar
den.
And the Mere Man is thinking OF
selling his old love letters to a pub.
Usher instead OF throwing them away.
He says the women no longer have a
corner on the utilizing of the appar-
....-.I., ,,saloas LIE VrRNON