The Washington herald., 1908-01-26
Them New-fsngIed Fi.in,..

A very delightful girl from some small
town somewhere IN the Middle West has
just come to visit her aunt. who is
friend Of mine While the girl and
waited for the aunt TO come back from
the dressmaker's the other day, the girl
told me this.
Tn spelling Aunt Julia best story"
she said, but / can tell II with some de-
tails that I'm quite sure shed never men
ton. I was simply delighted to be asked
here to visit her IN her new house. I
visited her before when Uncle James
was alive. but that was different They
lived in a poky house, and the best you
can say for Uncle James Is that he had
a mind Ike hens. lie had just one idea
in it. and that idea was that If you spent
cents without previous prayer and
meditation you'd die In the p0Orh0use.
II simply gave him fan-tads 70 have any
body in his house burn gas. He used to
plug the burners with soap 10 keep the
gas bills down, and If you'd walked him
in the night and told him burglars were
in the house he'd have said: tell them
not 10 light more than one burner I
never knew how Aunt Julia felt about
economy. She got on we'll with Uncle
James, and when a woman gets on wsIl
with her husband you can never tell
whether she agrees with him or merely
has superhuman control over her tongue
muscles. When 7 came this time, and
she took me to my room I noticed that
there was electric light Uncle James
used TO threaten to have If put ia because
IL saves matches and you can't turn it
half on and forget it's burning I thought
Aunt Julia was going in for economy.
After she went away opened the closet
door and there was a light cleaning away
just inside the door. I could hear Uncle
James ranting as he spun over and over
ia his grave, and Of course, ! looked for
some way 70 turn the light out I
couldn't find a switch anywhere. and the
bulb didn't have a key. I looked and
looked and the light kept on burning
Everybody was in bed and I didn't want
10 Jet on that I was too green 70 know
how 10 turn OF an electric light anyway.
Finally / got reckless. left the closet
door open and went 10 bed I'd have
been afraid 10 dare Uncle James ghost
by sleeping in the dark didn't sleep
much as it was. and every time 1 did
doze I began to figure UP what that light
was costing Uncle James estate I was
mighty worried. / can tell you that. not
knowing whether Aunt Julia felt Ike a
free widow or merely like the relict Of
Uncle James. confessed TO her at break
fast-said I was awfully sorry 20 be so
extravagant, but I couldn't find out how
TO turn Off that closet light Aunt Julia
laughed and laughed.
" I wish your Uncle James had been
here" she said Wouldn't it have wor-
rleG him, I ought 10 have told YOU
about that light Il works automatically.
When you open the closet door It lights
up, and when you shut the door il goes
out. II poor, dear james Well. I told
you she laughed. 7 reckon she made
Uncle James turn over a few times her
self, but that closet light certainly is a
luxury never dreamed people had
"DiR bOIO" Strains Her Eyes.
It's a poor sport that hasn't a disease
Of its own. I met a young woman in an
occulists waiting-room few days ago, +
and when 7 asked her what was tqe mat