The Lamar register., 1912-07-24
Closing the
Summer Cottage

The woman who had Just got back to
Town. that after a person Of ordinary
Intelligence had gone through the a.
ony Of closing up a summer cottage
svery year for years and years she
would be capable of doing 1t with her
hands tied behind her back and blind
srs on her eyes. but 1t isn't SO. There
ID something about the last few days
Of staying in any place that is dis
tracting. but the country IL the worst
Of all After getting every last thing
done you always need q full day to
DO the other things you hadn't thought
about
II always allow for that. Henry
never can see why. II he calculates
that we can leave Thursday. I always
explain to him that We will leave Fri
day.
with everything done!' he roars
1t me In protest Why do you think
We want to stick around here with
nothing to do and everything packed
and the fireplace cleaned out 20 We
can't have . hre and the rooms full
Of porch furnituref It's ridiculousi'
1--WE win leave Friday. Henry !
tell him soothingly.
Then everybody works like mad.
Thursday morning Henry always
comes in dragging on his work gloves
and sits down with . thump.
well he says. I've finished up out
tide. I've covered the flower beds with
mulch Of leaves and burlapped the
honsysuokle vines and spadsd up the
garden. Eve put away the hose and
laid . board over the chimney
90 right up and take It offI'
tell him. severely. How do you sup
pose ws'rs going to cook lunch and
dinner and breakfast and lunch again
with the chimney stopped upr
Henry has forgotten all about the
eAst that We still have 70 eat. 20 he
shsepishly elambsrs up on the roof
anA throws the board down. It gets
split up for kindling By the cook an
hour later. and there never 10 another
that viii sxastly IT. 70 The next sea
soa w md ehipmunks and mice and
Other WA creatures sooiably room
ing in the cottage when We get there.
anA az0 irTikably disturbed 1t being
TUNED cut
II don't 49, Henry pursuss aftsr
be 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 candlsstick and most Of
ny clothss.' remind him BY the
way. have you wrapped those dishss
tor packing in the barrslr
THAT keeps him occupied for some
time. Then. too. he nnds . punch bowl
that We borrowed from the Perkinsons
and forgot to return, 30 he has to walk
two miles with that. Then he has to
attend to The man who comes to set
out shrubs and then tell him about
two places In the roof that leak and he
has to get asphalt and mess around
and M them. Usually he still grum-
bles at supper time about the foolish
ness Of our remaining over till next
day. but I'm 20 busy fixing the canned
fruit to ship back to town. folding
away curtains and putting away
lamps that don't mind him.
Tn the morning l ask Henry brisk
" II he has remembered to take on
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 on the
water and drain the pipes he breaks
. valve or something and he has to
make special trip to the village for
help while the cook and l pile rugs
and bricks on the leaky places and get
soaked and catch awful colds.
Usually, Just as we are locking up
the house l remember that l 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 a
watering can, two flower pots and
carpet beater which have been left |
outside.
However. we finally lock the last |
door and start Half way to the launch |
ask him II he put out the next door
neighbors cat, which had wandered
in that morning. Henry is peevish by
now and demands to know II 1 think |
he has nothing to do but play nurse
maid to a cat, SO we drop the suit
cases and go back and unlock the |
place, raise all the window curtains |
and search for the animal Sometimes |