Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-11

the contemplation OF the familiar things and,
the ceuntenances you've been used to for
long has begun to work upon fellow
that he finds, upon determination. that
he really Is glad to be back home. and that
he doesn't have to just pretend at all any
more.
Good to Be Back Home.
well. when we got into the cab there
were little drying pools scattered all along
the asphalt. showing that there'd been rain.
though the skies were cloudless. and the air
was sweet and cool 1t seemed good to rum
Die along In the cab through streets where
there was no blare of bands and where
there weren't any endless streamers of cleo
TIC Hghts and where the squeaky zipp
or the barking monographs was not there
TO trouble We peered out at all OF the IA
miliar buildings to see II any changes had
been made in any of them. and were content
when We observed that they were Just the
same as when we'd left Washington back
In the prehistoric period OF thirty days ago.
The leafy streets, the corner parks the
squares and circles. with their orderly beds
of big blossoms-how fine and familiar and
natural they appeared. Met lot OF folks
We knew and they recognized us and waved
at US and we waved back at them. and IL
seemed homely and neighborly and pleas
ant, the whole ride up to the house in the
cab, 1t sure did, and by the time we'd pull
ed up at the door-such again is the
strength of human adaptability-the month
down at the beach had begun to seem like
q sort OF dream to both OF us, and the nat
ural thing was that here We were in Wash
ington. pulling up at our own front door.
getting home. where we belonged and where
we ought to be.
Then the opening up OF the house-d'ye
know that when l led the way in, and we'd
ehrown all the windows open and put in
the screens and lit the gas around TO take
look upstairs and down-d'ye know IL
looked so neat and cozy and comfortable.
with the furniture all swaddled up in its
1t,,4, r.
curtains down for the coolness that We both
fell to silently wondering why we'd left ii
at all for the sake of budding up in one
comparatively small and stuffy room for
whole month, and that II took us some
time to get away from the impression that
our going away had been the merest whim-
steal childishness.
That First Meal at Home.
''Of course We were hungry. and / hust-
led down the street to a late-keeping store
and got some bacon and eggs and potatoes
and coffee and butter. and trudged home
with 'em as fast as could. and present.
ly the wife had the gas range working on
the meal. The maid wasn't due to show
up till the morning, of course, and my
wife wanted to fix up the little meal her
self. anyhow-said that she'd been so lazy
and trifiing for a whole month that she
really ought to be made to get down on
her marrow-bones and scrub for a couple
OF days. to make up. and SO on. And when
she got the bacon and eggs on the table.
and the hot biscuit forgot to men,
ton the materials 1 got for the hot
biscuit-and the coffee, and we sat
down to 1t like a pair of folks that
had been rescued from a desert island by
whaler-I declare to you with the greatest
solemnity of which l am capable that we
never tasted anything in our whole lives
to equal that refection-and 1 guess
ought to remember how good 1t tasted,
for 1 only finished my share of it about
three-quarters of an hour ago.
Then. after being compelled for a whole
Dor across the street, who's been keeping
that onnery, no-account, but highly-be-
loved yaller dog there for us during our
absence-the neighbor saw the light in the
basement and knew that we were home
and brought the mutt over, and the dog
had a wild fit of Mysteries over seeing us
that lasted full twenty minutes. and I
guess the wife and I were just about as
glad to see the mutt as he was to see us.
Then after being compelled for a whole
month to sit around smoking all kinds of
seashore cigars-my wife never stands for
pipe at all while we're away-I got out
the old dudeen that you see tightly
clutched In my hand at this present in
slant, and here am having a sure-enough
sweet smoke. and. honest Injun. Just as
sure-enough glad to be home and half
settled back in the old rut again as ever
castaway was to be taken of a chicken
COOp III tie IIilUule OI the lnQlan ocean
after hanging on to the same for thirty
days. My wife has gone down the street
to her sisters to get the canary bird, and
she'll be back presently with all the am
liable little gossip Of what's been going on
up and down the block since we went
away month ago. so that we won't miss
anything, you see.
In his Own Bath Tub.
"In little while I'm going upstairs and
f,,v, tl.a o&1I nm
around in my own big tub that's been
mine ever since 1t came from the factory,
and that I don't have to regard with the
least suspicion on account Of any previous
associations it may have had-a feeling
with which have never been able to con-
template bath tubs at seashore hotels or
any other hotels, for the matter of that
If, before turning in. want to stink down
to the corner and abuse myself to the ex-
Swiss cheese sandwich into 1t, I won't have
ment, and I won't have to eat and drink
the rejection with about two hundred and
eighteen Dragging Willie boys and giggiing
girls chattering around me and making me
tired with their perfectly obvious, but
wholly unconscious. vealiness
blue about being home? Well, I should
say not! In fact, I'm beginning to believe
that the biggest part Of the fun of going
away q summer vacation consists In
the hiking back home and finding out
what soft and cozy thing you have Of
1t for the other eleven months of the
yeari' c. l.. C.