Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-07-17

the crumbs. / don't ike this very
much. but l must obey, and when |
get the crumbs in the dustpan l hit
my foot against it and scatter them all
over the floor again. Next time l was
more careful and didn't have to sweep
them up any more. Whoa l got through
with the job l call LEM. who was Civ
ing the baby his bath. 70 come and we
60 out to walk together.
"'Have you washed toe dishes?' Lee
IA called from above.
"'No. Must the dishes be washed?'
"'Of course she answered. You
dishes forever without washing them.
You. find hot water on the stove
II went into the kitcnen and poured
the boiling water into the pan, and
when l put my fingers into it they
were scalded. danced around the
kitchen in pain and called out to Lena
to know if l must wash the dishes in
boiling water. She said l was stupid
not to put some cold water in too. l
did this and washed the dishes and
dried them and put them away.
"By this time it vas 10 o'clock and
l had had no fun at all. I thought
surely now Lena would come down
stairs and we could go out to walk
and listen to the birds sing. Lena did
come down, but with the baby in her
arms, and she put him in mine, saying
that I must take care OF him while she
attended to the wants al the younger
children.
Il don't like this at all. but what
could / do? 1t was the day when l
must obey. so l took the baby from
her, but he didn't wish to leave Lena
and come to me, so hi set up a yell
loud enough to wake up his ancestors
out in the ch%urchyard. l talked to
him and walked him and danced him
up and down, but the more l persuad-
ed him to be quiet the louder be yelled
and kicked. l said to Lena, Take this
baby yourself; l can't do anything
with him. To this she replied that l
must keep him.
Il began to wish that the robbers
who had brought about this custom
had killed all the ONE so that we
would not be afflicted with it, but l
dare not disobey Lena; no man in the
town dare disobey any mi in that
town. for if he did all tie people would
turn against him for 10 respecting the
time honored custom.
II did n thing that shows that even
in taking care of a baby a man. if he
really brings his mind down to the
problem. can do it bettRr than a wom-
an. They haven't the Inventive power
men have. l put the baby to sleep.
How did l do that? Why. I began to
blow into his eyes. BE was obliged
to shut them and keep them shut. and
so he could do nothing but go to Sleep"
The story teller paused to empty his
beer mug. and all tho others cried:
Bravo. Carl: You have shown that
you are superior to a woman on her
own ground"
Carl went on with his story:
But putting the baby to sleep didn't
do ME any good. for Lena said the
children would soon come in hungry
and l must get the dinner.
"'Dinner.! l exclaimed. why; 1
have only just got rid of the breakfast!
1--we can't help that Lena answer
ed. We must all eat, especially chill
dren.'
"'They eat all the time, don't they?'
"'Pretty nearly.
There were four dishes to be pre-
pared for dinner and every one of them
was burned. for how pas I to attend
to them all at once? NV hands. which
had been scalded in the morning. were
burned at noon. When the dishes were
set on the table the children made a
howl. the baby began 10 cry and the
dog barked. I put my hands to my
ears and ran away from the house. and
l didn't go back that day either.
"Soon it was known all over the town
that l had been disobedient on wom-
ans day, and everybody was talking
about me. Some persons ON meeting
me cut me dead. 1t was Carl. how
could you show such disrespect to
woman's day. which has come down to
US for five or six centuries: No man
has ever done so before 'Himmel!.' l.
Il1Cu. ~ i 10 ~ OlN L oDCy Luc "OuI-
an for one day. what must it be to obey
her every day? I'm going to leave
this village and GO to America. IL
they have there a woman's day | will
go somewhere else and keep on going
till l find a place where no man has
ever to obey a woman
when Lena heard l was going to
America she said she was going with
me. If you do l said to her. and we
find there is a woman's day there, you
must understand that it is not to be
| observed in our family. She agreed to
this, and here we are in America. Le-
ma takes care Of the house and the
children and I make the money for the
family"
/ care you going to let your wife
vote?" asked Hans Muller.
mo. If Lena votes I have to 90 back
[ to that woman's day and do her work.
l You bet l don't do that. But l think
: Eana wouldn't have time RI vote Che