The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-07-26
Closing the
Summer Cottage

ony of closing up a summer cottage
every year for years and years she
would be capable OF doing 1t with her
hands tied behind her back and blind
ers on her eyes, but II isn't so, There
is something about the last few days
OF staying in any place that is dis
tracing, but the country is the worst
OF all. After getting every last thing
done you always need 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. always
explain to him that we will leave FRI
day.
With everything donev he roars
at 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 so we
can't have a Are and the rooms full
Of porch furniture? It's ridiculous!'
I'VE viii leave Friday. Henry !
tell him soothingly.
Then everybody works like mad.
Thursday morning Henry always
comes In dragging OF his work gloves
and sits down with thump.
Well he says, I've finished up out.
side. I've covered the flower beds with
a mulch OF leaves and burlapped the
honeysuckle vines and spaded up the
garden. I've put away the hose and
laid board over the chimney
go right up and take Il on I
tell him. severely. How do you sup
pose we're going 70 cook lunch and
dinner and breakfast and lunch again
with the chimney stopped up7
Henry has forgotten all about the
fact that we still have to eat 80 he
sheepishly Chambers up on the roof
and throws the board down. II gets
split up for kindling by the cook an
hour later, and there never is another
that will exactly fit, so the next sea
son we find chipmunks and mice and
other wild creatures socially room.
ing in the cottage when we get there.
and are irritably disturbed at being
turned out
81 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
IAN but the curtains and soft pill
lows and the candlestick and most Of
my Clothes remind him. BY the
way. have you wrapped those dishes
for packing In the barrett?
That keeps him occupied for some
time. Then. too. he finds 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 tell him about
two places in the roof that leak and he
has 10 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 SO busy fixing the canned
fruit to ship back to town. folding
away curtains and putting away
lamps that ! don't mind him.
In the morning l ask Henry brisk
ly 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 OF the
water and drain the pipes he breaks
valve or something and he has to
make a special trip to the village for
help while the cook and pile rugs
and bricks on the leaky places and get
soaked and catch awful colds.
Usually, Just as we are locking up
the house remember that ! 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 a
carpet beaten 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
neighbours 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 go back and unlock the
place, raise all the window curtains
and search for the animal Sometimes
we find her. and sometimes we don't.
and II we don't I am haunted all win
ter by the fear that she has died lin
gering death.
Every little while all the way back
to the city | Jump as ! remember
something l have forgotten to do. |
have heated arguments with Henry
over whether have left the matches
loose on the fireplace mantel or not.
or whether emptied the pint bottle
of ink that will drip over the books
II II freezes and breaks. can't quite
tell whether | remembered to empty
all the flower vases, either, and then
Henry left box full Of cigars on the
writing table.
When we reach the city we are so
exhausted from weariness and wrath