Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-01-16
Keeping the House.

Dear Old Office:
Yes. this letter 10 written to you,-to
the four smoky walls, and the ink.epat
tered desk, and the typewriter with ifs
obligIng keys, that clicked ont 20 many
weeks Of work and helped along the
coming OF the Saturday night pay envsi-
ope.
/ wonder II you oil miss meP sup
pose the blond young thing with paint
cd cheeks 10 perched In my chair now,
and thinks she can hold IT down JUST .
| little better than ever did. I'D IKE 70
show her. I'd like to walk up to the
manager and cay, "Here ! am, tho bad
,, penny come back. ID there . place Tor
me?" III wager she'd have position
wanted" ad In the papers In tho morn
Perhaps not, though. Maybe. whom
he said, "If you get tired Of married lilo
come back to us," he Vas only joking.
What II he was? don't want TO 20 back,
| I Just want to believe that could 60
back II wanted to.
What would Jack say, though? he
does not believe In women working. A.
though sweeping, and busting and bak'
| ing and brewing were just play. Why,
have not read my favorite magazine
yet this month, and it's been on the
table in the sitting-room for Week;
Which reminds me, that must 90 ana
dust that blessed table this very minute.
l can write my name on 1t with my nm
ger, and that they say, 10 the sign OF
poor bousekeeper. I saw . COB web
coming down stairs this morning, too.
Hope Jack did not notice 1t. "Where
cobwebs grow, beaux never 60" and
want to keep Jack my beau oven II We
are married. Dear, dear, this reminds
me of dinner. We've had sauer krsut
three times this week, and cabbage salad
twice. I'll ruin his digestion, and then
he'll get divorce on incompstibility OF
temper.
Last week J baked pumpkin pie, and
| It should have been ine, but when cut
lit, why, something had happened. 1t
was q pie the like of which was never
served before; for the crust was In the
middle with . layer OF pumpkin above
aud another below. Jack said It did not
taste half bad, but all the Kings horses
and all the Kings men, can't tempt me
to undertake the baking of pumpkin pie
again.
Housekeeping 10 strange. AT the
office enjoyed the morning, and pitch
cd into the pile Of letters with smile.
In the afternoon I'd get hot and tired
and blue and discouraged, and think l
never could live until closing-up time.
Now the Homework looks big and black
and horrid in the morning, but, with the
sweeplng and busting all done and din.
ner ready to put on the table, the day
reems q short and jolly one.
When think about you, you dear, old
Office you, gst so homesick could cry
tears a. salt as the stew the night for
got to freshen the salt pork put in It,
but when l think Of giving up putting
things to rights and the ironing OF sti6,
white garments and plain knitted ones,
about never trying any moro tempting
recipes, about putting my big kitchen
aprons away in drawer, never to use
them any moro, and, most of all-weli, l
dare say 1t just to you-about Jack-l
know that l shall never, never, mover
come back to you, and that I'm going to
forget how the click of . typewriter
sounds, and become proficient in putting
just the right amount of shortening into
. cake.
| Housekeeping is q sort Of auckland,
and when II once catches you, you can't
get out. But it's different from quick
sand, because it don't swallow you, only
your time, and the, soft wilderness OF
your hands, maybe. and you like It bet
ter and better, until you feel sort Of
pity for even the blond young thing With
the painted cheeks, and wish that she,
too, bad some ono to love her. and to
furnish . little house for her to keep.
Goodbye, dear old Office, I'm going
after the dus ting-cloth now, and after
that there is dinner to get. and then tho
dishes to do. Dear old dinner and dishes
and busting, for they make HOME for
/ lack and TUE EY OFFICE GIRL,