Connecticut western news., 1910-04-14
WOMAN AT
 THE HEAD B: SADIE OLCOTT Copyright, 1910. by American Press
 Association.

uSiI heluOrI, u SlnSuldF custom IS OD- served annually. According to tradi- tion, 1t dates back to the thirteenth century. During that era the hamlet was on one occasion attacked by a band of robbers, and the men of the village were soon compelled to beat a retreat.
 i Ther6upOn the women boldly att lacked the robbers and not only van l quished them, but also took the leader and several of the band prisoners. As token of their gratitude the men ! have ever since allowed the women l to celebrate this great event by hold 1 ing a festival at stated intervals and on such occasions they exercise no au- thority themselves, but submit in all things to the will of the women.
 Now, there lived in this hamlet a pair of lovers, Carl Koopman and Gretchen Boucher, who had often dis cussed the relative hardship of men and wOmen's work, Carl averring that women have very easy time. When a few days before their marriage one of these festivals was to come off Gretchen ordered Carl to report him. self at her home, where she lived with her father and mother and a number of younger brothers and sisters aged all the way from fourteen years to three months, and to remain there during the day subject to her direc- tionS.
 On the cay of the festival Carl ap- peared, good natured. smiling. evident ly much pleased at the novel situation of obeying his sweetheart for a whole day. He found Gretchen in care of the family. her father and mother hay ing taken a holiday and gone into Meldorf to enjoy themselves.
 Wash the breakfast dishes" said Gretchen.
 Carl went into the kitchen, poured some water into a pan ard proceeded to wash the dishes. When he had finished he called Gretchen to inspect his work. She looked over the dishes and put her finger in the dishwater.
 "Stone cold" she said Heat some water and do them again. Look at the grease on them"
 Carl was a triie sobered at this, but he was resolved to do his part and obey orders implicitly. He heated some water and washed the dishes again, scalding his fingers at the work Gretchen permitted him to put the dishes in the cupboard, then told him to do the morning sweeping. He sent the dust up into the room. and it set tied on the furniture instead of the floor. After an hours work Gretchen told him to stop. to get some wet tea leaves, put them on the floor and do the work over.
 Having given him a ,scolding Gretchen told him that he was to mind the baby while she took the children out for a walk. He was to have the dinner ready by the time they returned.
 Carl saw her depart with misgiv- ings. The novelty of the situation was wearing off. The baby was quite peaceful for a time, then suddenly be- gan to bawl. Carl took it up and walked about with it for awhile, then put it down again. But the baby was not minded to be put down. The Squawling recommended. Carl took 1t up again, but the sQuawling being re- newed he repeated. the process again and again. In other words, he was obliged to keep the baby in his arms. About noon the child fell asleep on his shoulder, and he laid it in it's crib.
 It was now time to get the dinner, and Carl congratulated himself upon the baby being eliminated from the problem. Gretchen had put some ba- con in one dish and some potatoes which he was to fry in another. This was all the cooking he was to do, and he had told her that he had often done it while camping and would have no trouble He sliced the potatoes and the bacon and when he considered the fire hot enough set the pans contain ing them on it, having first heated l some fat for the potatoes.
 Both the bacon and the potatoes be- gan to sizzIe, and Carl was turning the latter when the baby woke up. The child cried to be taken up, but Carl couldn't well leave his cooking, so he let it lie till he was afraid it would burst a blood vessel, when he went to it, a greasy Cork in one hand and a towel in the other, and tried to soothe it. But the baby screamed harder and harder. as much as to say If you don t take me up I'll commit suicide in sDasms" Carl tried to coax it, then, losing his patience, scolded. Neither had any effect.
 Meanwhile the fire was getting very hot, and suddenly the fat used in cook ing the potatoes caught fire and threat ened the destruction of the house. Carl tried to blow out the blaze. Fail ing ill this, he seized a cloth and tried to fan it out. Then the baby ceased crying, and Carl, suspecting something wrong, looked at and saw that it was making one of those gasps for breath babies make between SquawlS He ran to it. It recovered its breath and be- gan again to yell in deadly rage. Carl ran from it to the potatoes, seized the blazing pan and threw the whole thing out of the door,