The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-20
HEaRT
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HOMO |
TALKS
wrestling With the Heater

a heater is such stolid thing. ii
complacently goes out or sieepiy
suiks, but ~no matter what YOU say to
II or how fiercely you poke it, you
get never an answer. Not 70 be aoie
10 provoke the other party to wrath
is most eNasperatiag
l know that sometimes when jim
comes up cellar with a fierce look on
his face that If the heater would only
have sworn back or walked away leaV-
ing him talking. or just done any
thing to show that at last Jim had
"riled" it. that Jim wouldn't have
been half so mad. But to Wrestlc with
a dumb, stodgy thing like that fat
cylinder of galvanized tin ana iron
tries ones temper more than the word
lest battle
When we went to Housekeeping, jim
knew nothing more about heater
than | knew about a range. But he
felt equal to his task.
IT'S very simple" he said, There's
a shaker to shake down the ashes.
and a slide to pull out So that you
can get the cinders out. and that's
about all there Is TO it. ! can't under
stand why people make such fuss
about caring for fire"
He built up the fire very carefully
according TO approved methods, and
it burned merrily for a few days. Jim
would he about two minutes in the
cellar fixing it in the morning and
would come up with nonchalant air
that said, AS easy as tWiddling your
thumbs
About the fifth day. however he
didn't appear. and l heard furious
shakings and then mutterings, then
wood chopping and shoveling of ashes.
AT last he came UP. covered with
ashes, several black smuts on his face.
his hands grimy.
The blamed thing was out he
growled. Don't see what was the
matter, fixed 1t the same last night
| as every other night. I'm sight. I'll
have TO take another bath. and III
be late at the Office
Have you been taking out the
| cinders?" ] ventured cautiously.
BY jing. l forgot all about the
| cinders."
| The next morning I heard vigor-
Gus exclamation and then Jim appear
ed looking like a thundercloud
THE DANCED old thing can stay
out" he said savagely.
Was it ont again" | exclaimed,
| amazed.
NO, it wasn't out. But 7 pulled
out that slide, or thingamajigger to
take out the cinders. and the whole
Gre fell out. OF all -hlinkety blank
ways to build heater"
But there aren't any cinders much
in fresh IRE l Ventured once more
meekly.
"What made you say there was.
them Didn't you say, Take out
| cinders,"
Jim doesn't often talk that way
But one can excuse most anything
when heater is at the bottom of H.
AT any rate. the fire.s out" he
went on, and | can't be late at the
| office again Youi have to get some
! body to make it,
| inveisied the man who does the
chores next door to fire 1T up once
! more ana during the process | ex-
tracted some Information from him
as to the proper treatment of heaters
( To Keep them in a good temper
All went merrilN for while then
one night about two o'clock, Jim woke
with start and exclaimed. by gum,
l forgot to fix the heater"
tie lay still for Il while and I could
really hear the argument going on
+ Wlthln him. Finally lac arose with a
sign ana Went below, | heard coat
saVaseiy shoveled on, Then | saw n
light flame up in the library,
What's the matter" | asked.
Nearly ont" was the gloomy. re- j..
T Ply: fIi nave to sit up and watch
II the rest of the night. | suppose.
/ It's worse than "a baby"
reward morning he crawled in. say
/ ing things about heaters which if a
! heater had spark of spirit, it would
! get up and lick him FOR. But as
nave said, heater is most Irritating In
TINS respect. You can't egg II on to a.
.!ltsht' III Just doses mean, srsakv
/ thlnGs like going out in the night or
when company is coming.
me third time Jim woke up In the
+ middle OF the night to remember he
! hadht fixed the heater. ! suggested We
get an alarm clock ana set il 10 yo
on when we went to bed to remind
us to fix the heater. or make arrange
ments with the telephone girl 70 car,
US up and say heater"
III make an arrangement for a
man To come and attend to il" said
JIM saVagelN, as he. crawled INFO he'd
the morning" 40
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