The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-09-27
Closing the
Summer Cottage

ANY one would think remarked
the woman who had Just got back to
town, that after q person OF ordinary
Intelligence had gone through the ag-
ony OF closing up q summer cottage
every year for years and years she
would be capable OF doing It with her
nands tied behind her back and blind
ers on her eyes, but It isn't so. There
is something about tho last few days
or staying in any place that Is dis
tracing. but the country is the worst
OF all. After getting every last thing
oone you always need a full day to
DO the other things you hadn't thought
about.
Il always allow for that. Henry
never can see why, II he calculates
that We can leave Thursday. I always
explain to him that We viii leave FIJI
day.
with everything dons!' he roars
at me In protest. Why do you think
We want to stick around hero with
nothing to do and everything packed
and the fireplace cleaned out 30 we
can't have a fro and the rooms full
OF porch furnituref It's ridteulous!
I'VE will leave Friday, Henry. I
tell him soothinsly.
Then everybody works Nike mad,
Thursday morning Henry always
comes IN dragging on his work gloves
and sits down with a thump.
WELL he says. Fve finished up out
side. I've covered the flower beds with
a mulch Of leaves and buYlapped the
honeysuckle vines and spaded up the
garden. I've put away the hose and
laid board over the chimney-'
Go right mp and take 1t orr I
tell him. severely, How do you sup
pose we're going to cook lunch and
dinner and breakfast and lunch again
with the chimney stopped up9'
Henry has forgotten all about the
fact that We still have to eat, so he
sheepishly chambers up on the roof
and throws the board down. It gets
split UP for kindling by the cook an
hour later, sand there never is another
that will exactly At, so the next sea-
son we find chipmunks and mice and
other wild creatures sociably room
Ing In the cottage when We get there,
and are irritably disturbed at being
turned out.
I don't see,' Henry pursues after
he has disposed Of the chimney board.
why we can't take the evening train
tonight Your trunks are all packed
"An but the curtains and soft pill
lows and the candlestick and most OF
my Clothes remind him. BY the
way, -have nyou wrapped those dishes
for packing in the barrelr
"That keeps him occupied for some
time. Then. too, he finds a punch bowl
that we borrowed from the Perkinsons
and forgot to return. so he has to walk
two miles with that Then he has to
attend to the man who comes to set
out shrubs and then I tell him about
two places In the roof that leak and he
has to get asphalt and mess around
and fix them. Usually he still grum-
bles at supper time about the foolish
ness Of our remaining over till next
day. but I'm 80 busy fixing the canned
fruit to ship back to town. folding
away curtains and putting away
lamps that l don't mind him.
In the morning I ask Henry brisk
ly II he has remembered to take OF
the window screens and take down the
porch screens, bring in the spade and
the rake and nail up the broken place
in the fence. That makes him Jump
hastily and cry out: BY George! II
hadn't nearly forgot that
"Then when he tries to turn off the
In hn MI No bo
a valve or something and he has to
make special trip to the village for
help while the cook and I pile rugs
and bricks on the leaky places and get
soaked and catch awful colds.
Usually, just as we are locking up
the house I remember that I haven't
emptied the tank of the kitchen stove,
and that reminds Henry that he has
completely neglected to empty the hot
water boiler He comes dragging In q
watering can, two flower pots and a
carpet beater which have been left
outside.
However, we finally lock the last
door and start. Half way to the launch
/ ask him If he put out the next door
neighbors cat, which had wandered
IN that morning. Henry Is peevish by
now and demands to know II think
he has nothing to do but play nurse
maid to cat, so we drop the suit.
cases and g. ack and unlock the
place, raise all the window curtains
and search for the animal Sometimes
we find her and sometimes we don't
and If we don't am haunted all win.
ter by the fear that she has died lin
gering death.