Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1911-02-09
VISITING
AT JIM'S

Merle, is just lovely. l guess Jim
couldn't have found a prettier, smart
er or pleasanter girl If he'd looked all
over the couItry. And she's real capa-
Bile, too. There's hardly anything she
can't do.
NO, didn't teach her any Of my
old recipes. She's been to cooking
school and she knows the why and
wherefore of everything that goes into
the mixing bowl. She doesn't believe
in my way of putting In enough -four to-
make stiff batter and In seasoning
to taste Good housekeepers nova,
lays know all about the chemistry and !
hygiene of cooking, Merle says. She
declares that she won't keep a maid
who doesn't go at her work scientific
ally. could just hear my Amanda
who's been with me ever since Jim
was a little boy-snifi If ever | in
CURED of her as Merle did Of her maid
one day, If she had sterilized the milk
and used antisep1cs when she was
cleaning the refrigerator !
oh, yes, l enjoyed my visit so
much. Jim's home is just beautiful,
even If 1t is an apartment. When Il
first got there Merle showed me the
guest chamber and said: You can
dress here, mother and sleep on the
porch, If you want to-
The porch! l exclaimed, feeling
kind OF ruffled, for 1t didn't sound very
loving or hospitable to me to be told
| could sleep on the porch /
Jim saw how | felt, and he spoke
up and told me that they were very
proud Of having sleeping porch
that lots Of apartments didn't have any
outdoor place for sleeping, and that
people are getting to think that it's
not healthy to sleep in the house.
Well l said, I've got to be 67i
years old without any serious illnesses
contracted from sleeping in a bedroom
and | guess I'll risk it.
1T does seem an awful shame for
Jim to pay as much rent q year for
those small rooms as 1t would take to-
buy a real nice little home in Krog-i
vile. But when spoke to him about
1t he just laughed and said: That's
all right mother, but l couldn't earn
enough money at my trade in Krog-
vile to buy chicken coop
You know, Jim's lawyer, and
we're a kind of peaceable neighbor-
hood around here, aren't we? sup
pose he is better Off there in the city,
but sometimes since I've been home
get to feeling might sorry for him
and Merle, perched up there in the
eighth story of that building
When | found out that children
aren't allowed in that building said
to Merle: For heavens sake, move
to some place where you can raise a
family II you want to- Merle Just
smiled and said they were very COM
Portable where they were for the pres
ent.
|. Merle Is always smiling and DO
lite, but she can be pretty firm when
she feels like it, One day when I'd
been round to the drug store on the
next corner-thats as far as they'd
let me go alone-and | came into the
little reception hall all out of breath.
Merle said: Mother. do believe you
walked all the way upstairs
well, what of it?' asked. Aren't
my legs meant for use?
They aren't meant to climb seven
flights of stairs, and you mustn't do 1t
again. she said. Jim wouldn't like It.
81 had to smile at that because
Jim's seen me running up and down:
stairs and all over the place from
dawn to dark ever since he used to.
toddle up to the attic chamber and
help me make up the hired mans bed.
"'But, mother he said that night
when Merle told him Of my feat, as she
called it, there's no extra charge for
the elevator service, and the boy who
runs it will feel that he isn't giving
satisfaction If he sees you walking up
the stairs.
"Of course, after that rode up and
down every time, and the boy seemed
so pleased-for he was always bowling
and touching his cap-that one day.:
when Merle went out to her bridge
club and was kind of lonesome, just
took my knitting and rode up and
down with him all afternoon, and we;
got real we'll acquainted. asked him
If he wouldn't like to come out here to-
Krogville and work for his living on
a farm or at the blacksmith shop, in
stead of just idling his time away in
that elevator He said it didn't look
very good to him, but he'd think 1t
over.
Society? Oh, yes, Merle has lots of
society and she gave a stylish recep-
ton to me and, of course, | enjoyed
it ever so much. Still, must say that
never was so taken aback in my life
as l was when she began introducing
me to them as Nine. Reynolds L.
who have been Mrs. Reynolds ever
since l was IT!
Just plain Mrs. Reynolds, Jim
Reynolds mother from Krogville,' 4
said to the first lady she introduced
me to. Just as she was going to say
something another one came and
Merle said, very firm, indeed, My
mother, Nine. Reynolds