Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-04-05
Margaret Wells Dame
Nature Apartment House

-
and the best landlady that ever rented
sweeping and busting, cleaning and
scrubbing, getting her big, big house
in order. vi
She has a wonderful broom which
is known as the wind and an equally
wonderful cleansing fluid that Is called.
water; while as for disinfectants she
uses two kinds, air and sunshine, and
neither costs her penny.
After her floors are scrubbed she -
ready for new carpets and she always
selects a green because it is 80 rest
full to the eyes. After while she
will spread some beautiful rugs, floral.
designs, white daisies, red carnations.
blue violets, yellow daffodils and 9TH
or patterns which will make her. floor
very beautiful.
She brushed her ceilings clean; BY
day there are lovely blue, by night
velvety black, frescoed with stars.
Sometimes she paints them . beautt
full crimson, and IL you look Just
before, dusk and very early in.
the morning you will sec the
rich colors. After her ceilings are
perfect she will hang soft tapestries
on her walls. silvery ones Of the vii
low, red fuzzy ones of the elm and
maple, and creamy ones of the catal-
pa and many different shades Of green.
When all is finished she will put up
her ITO Let" sign and then the new
people will come. Some prefer the
upper rooms to the ground floor, but
others like the basement best.
The frogs like the dampest rooms ~
be had. They come early and bring
their violins with them for they are .
most musical family The toads are
their first cousins. They also prefer
the basement. Both are splendid ten
ants and help Dame Nature to keep
the apartments free from undesirable
neighbors.
The snakes are almost useful, but
from foolish idea people fear them
and are often very cruel to them. Chill
dren are now being taught better and
the smaller snakes Of New Englsrd,
which are not harmful as they are in
other climates, are allowed to live and
do police duty In the great house.
There are many other basement ten
ants but have no time to mention
them.
only few of the first floor people.
The rabbits are big, frolicsoms lodg-
ers, who have big, big ears and hop
when they travel. There is largo
family of spiders, very busy sort Of
folks, who like to work Ut night. Some
times they spin beautiful laces and
make little white tents while every.
body else Is asleep. The crickets are
as small as the spider and are among
the most cheerful people in the house.
They sing by night as well as by day
and like most Of all to tune up, when
Father Frog starts his orchestra.
The bird family engages most of the
upper rooms and is so numerous that
there are different family names.
Dame Nature likes them best because
they are such happy people Being
the finest singers In the world, they
are popular with everybody. The first
to set up housekeeping are the rob
ms who always wear red vests and the
bluebirds who are just as particular
about the color Of their jackets, only
blue will suit them. The song sparrow
soon come after these tenants. They
do not dress 50 gayly but they have
sweeter voices. One Of the bird fam
lily is dismal sort Of chap with .
bad reputation. He rents the darkest
room in the house and seldom comes
out in the daytime. After dark this
big-eyed nefghbor leaves his room and
then all the little children OF the tene-
ments hurry home to keep out Of his
way. His name is owl.
will speak Of Just one more upper
floor ledger, the squirrel He moves
so quickly and makes such a noise that
he wakens all the babies from their
maps. He is so full Of fun that he
cannot keep still long at time, but
means no harm. Some squirrels wear
gray fur coats and others wear red
ones; while a second cousin Of theirs
likes striped coat best. s
Margaret Wells. Age IL.
502 Center Ave. Ottumwa, lows