The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-14
Eoening Story
Flour Bags and Abigail.
BY JANE OSBORN.

he had no fault to find with the way
his house had been kept during his
lifetime. For within the sixty years
that had elapsed since he married and
acquired a home of his own, he had
had three of the best housekeepers
that Newton had ever known-his
wife, who had presided over his hearth
for some twenty odd years, his maiden
daughter, Eliza, who had lived to
carry on the Bradshaw housewifely
traditions and other decade, and then
his granddaughter, Abigail. who for
nearly a score of years had never
missed a Monday washday, a Friday
cleaning day or a spring houseclean-
ing. She was even more methodfcal,
more systematic, more economical
than her other predecessors had been.
Grandpa Bradshaw's affairs had not
been difficult to settle. Gradually he
had withdrawn from the small bakery
business which he had built up. and
which had been as gradually absorbed
by the large baking company of New
ton, so that all that was left to tell OF
his industrious life was a very small
annuity for Abigail, the result of de-
posits in the savings bank. This with
che house that the Bradshaws had
lived in for a century constituted Abb
CALLS worldly wealth. Obviously. it
was necessary for Abigail to do some
thing"
And tho Abigail was known to be
immensely capable, better educated
than the average woman of Newton,
friends and neighbors were not a little
concerned for her, for she was a no.
torious home body. Every one knew
that she would never be willing to
leave the old place and she would
never be willing to give up keeping
house. 1t was whispered that Abigail
might have married-it was known
that at least two eligible males had
proposed for the rather comely, capa-
BILE hand that belonged to Miss Abigail
Bradshaw That she had not accepted
marriage as a solution to her prob
lem was evidenced by the neat shingie
that was tackled to the Bradshaw
front door bearing the words Table
Board" Others in Newton had tried
it and had failed-the high cost OF
food commodities was against them.
But if any one could manage to make
was so immensely capable and eco
nomical. She was what was known in
NSWton as a good manager" but no
one had any doubts IS to the bounty
of the table that she would set. So
she gathered around her old oak
board a little household of 'meafers."
There was Miss Heck who went
around shampooing the feminine in
habitants of Newton, and the school
teacher, Miss Brown; the young
bachelor. who was the new minister
at the Methodist church,. Joe BEN
net, an old bachelor who busted him
self managing his collection of we'll
selected real estate, homeless since
old Mrs. Bennett had died a year be-
fore; the foreman from the factory,
a stenographer, also from the factory.
and perhaps one or two more. 2 1t
meant a good deal of work for Abb
gail, for Abigail was not one to give
up her thoro methods just because of
the increased quantity of cooking or
dishes she had toi wash. Then, re-
member, Abigail had nursed old
grandpa Bradshaw during those
to the bakery as had been his cusr
tom. She had been under a.. terrific
strain which was made even more try
ing because when old grandpa Brad
shaw had died she was confronted
with the first change that had come
girl in her teens she had gone to keep
| house for her grandfather.
No wonder then that as the warm
June days arrived she became worn
and wan under the toll of providing
| three meals a day for her hungry
remarkably young-you might not
have thought her over thirty. but the
color began to fade from her cheeks
and the circles deepened under her
soft brown eyes, eyes that could ex-
press so much tenderness and sympa-
thy or unlimited stores of capability.
Then one day when the young min
! lister. arrived for supper he was met
by Miss Heck, of shampooing fame
and Miss Heck's face was long.
/ Miss Abigairs ailing," she an
nounced with Importance. Such
supper as you people have tonight will
I be what I get for you and L won't
have time to do much cooking along
with looking after Abigail. She's in
her room now, crying-all tired out
! and-''
! II suppose she misses her grand
father" commented the young minis
! ter. helplessly.
DOUBTLESS, but that isn't just what's
the matter with her."
The other mealers arrived, and to
/ them all Miss Heck gave the same eX
/ PLANTATION, making each and every one
feel that he or she was doubtless en-
tirely responsible for the condition
that Miss Bradshaw had come to.
| Miss Brown, the school teacher, lin
gered after supper to help with the
dishes that Miss Heck had taken upon
her own capable shoulders to de up
at isn't just missing her grand
! father, commented Miss Heck in a
stage whisper. ITS the flour bags
that seem to bother her"
! Flour bags?" echoed Miss Brown.
! Flour bags couldn't harm her. could
they?"
Il didn't want to explain" went on
! Miss Heck. They mightn't under
stand. But when you have been doing
thing the same way for twenty years
you get mighty sot in your way. And
she has never done homework with
out flour bags. and plenty of 'em. So
when I came in she just burst out and
cried"
But can't she get any flour bags?
What does she want of flour bags?''
Queried Miss Brown
Grandpa Bradshaw always had the
/ empty flour bags from the bakery.
and Abigail used to have 'em~ to make
into dish towels and scrub cloths. and
she even used to sew them neatly to-
gether and use them for common
hand towels. I think she even made
some of her ordinary underclothes out
OF them Any rate. she used 'em for
! all sorts of homework and thought
I she was RcpnOniziur