Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-03
A Brute Of a Man.

IL.
oneryest man in Washington" said the
man with the square chin. what
the men folks may think of him1l
perhaps be some different. but they
won't express their views. anyhow.
THE man, being on Uncle Sans
wage list in the sl.4G0 year class,
isn't exactly able to perceive where
he and his wife break into the pink
tea bunch. That is to say, he hasn't
social aspirations to cause him to
stop paying his grocery bills or to in
duce him to lie awake O. nights won-
derirg how he's going to beg or bribe
some pin-headed legation attache to
lend him distinction by honoring his
an invitation to progressive uchre
purity at saSsietv boarding house,
where all of the ladies who assist tog
themselves out in their one cream
hued China silk waist and throw the
nigh hIndshake.
lie doesn't see where this kind of
a lay is at all necessary to his happi-
ness or peace of mind. But his wife
during the past six months-or since
my friend the emery man, got his pay
raised from $1,000 to $l.4OO-has
been :iZ-SiGging around on the out
skirts of the pink tea gang, trying to
wriSgle in through the medium of
samOvar tea served in a $1.4S set of
Dresden.
"The afternoon. couple of months
ago. when she managed to rope in the
wife OF way back congressman to
nj of
of hers. marked such an epoch i'm her
career that she had to announce right
off The special day when she'd be
at home
Nov. my pal. the mean man, puts
in a pretty fair days work for his
government wages. and when he gets
home from work. he likes to sit down
to a proper meal Of victuals. with his
family around the board. and the cat
washing herself before the basement
latrobe.
when his wife got her afternoon
'at home things into commission.
however. he got his instructions to
sneak into his home by the basement
route ard to keep himself slowed
there until such Il time as his wife.
pay $3.50 Il month rent-got through
talking about brushes and the higher
and nobler. and other little things like
that with the outfit of society queens
who drove up on these afternoons in
barOuches that
looked like they were suffering from
boil weevil or tuberculosis-the ba-
rouches. I mean.
1T was up to my chum. the mean
man, to sit down there in the base
ment, munching on his nails and
tightening up his belt and longing for
grub. until the last of the at-homers
had let up on-the samovar tea and
gone home to dig up the cold pork
chop in the icebox wherewith to make
a dlnner-for the at-homers never sit
down to a square. hot meal, y'see.
"Well. Jim-that's my pal. the mean
man-stCod for this end of it till last
week, and then sedition and blood
red revolt took possession of him.
He couldn't hgure it out where he
cut in on that prOpositlCn. with the
talkfeSt going on upstairs about the
good. the true end tne beautiful on his
Wife's afternoons at home. while he.
hungry to the soul OF him. had to hang
around the basement. reading the Star
down to the Lost and found ads. until
a bout 80 O'Clock when his wife 'ud re-
lease the $9-a-n.onth maid from up
stairs duty and let her take off her
maids cap and slope below to prepare
to cat. AS | say. this is
what got jim a-goifs. He made up
bis mind he was going to be 1t; and he
made it stick: and that's the reason
that he's the meanast man in Wash
ii gton. maybe.
Jim got home on time 5 O'Clock
on Wednesday afternoon last-his
wife's at home day. He had some
bundles under his arm. liz one of the
brown paper packages was a big ten
derloin steak. in another were about
il dozen or so nice. big. juicy. Bermuda
Unions.
Jim raked the kitchen fire over as
soon as he got in hy the basement
route. took off his coat. set the coffe,
pot on the stow. and started in to get
his own dinner.
Within about quarter OF an hour
he had about as nice a looking mess
So he tells me-of beefstcak and onions
under way as he ever saw. He didn't
,nen the rear kitchen door, either, to
let the onion smell sneak cut that way
Jim was on the level. He wasn't try
ing to put up any bluffs and he wanted
the savory smell cf these frying onions
TO make itself at home throughout the
house upstairs and downstairs.
Then he set the dining room table
not neglectinS to fix places for his two
little boys. who were Kept upstairs,
huddled out of sight on these at home
days.
when the meal was smoking on the
table. Jim. With his hair tousled and
his face steanng. made the best Of his
way up the basement stairs. through
Ihe powerful and appalling aroma of
fried onions. and. standing at the foot
If the stairs leading to the second floor,
yelled to his two boys.
Hey. there. Dick. and you, Bub,
come on down to your dinner!'
Then he went to the door Of the
reception room and did fine bit OF
scting-pretendng that he felt all
kinds Of dis,nay and embarrassment
over showing up that way. He says
hat the glare he gor from his wife
rame near willing MIN but Jim'S no