Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-06
Light on the Subject.
~ULA WILKINS wiped the last
Iamn chimney until it cleaned

| Al lamp CHIMNEY uI1lll IL kledlnpu
like something better than
~ Just plain blown glass. In its
crystal rotundty she saw re.
ferted her round, elderly face, very
round one way, much too long the
others depending on the way she held
the chimney.
81 might say" Cula murmured to
herself, that the short way is how
| look when l begin my daily tasks
in the morning, and the long way is
how I look at night when I'm ready
for bed and dead tired from my days
work"
She placed the chimney on the
freshly filled lamp and set 1t along
side seven other lamps on the shelf
over the old-fashioned wooden kitchen
sink. When Cula looked at the sink
she sighed, and when she looked at the
row of freshly filled and washed lamps
she sighed again, which all goes to
prove that Cula was not only tlred
but getting blue as WELL. To tell the
truth, she was tired of washing lamps.
She longed for electric lights. but
most of all she wanted to have water
brought from the big spring to the
house. She stood looking down at the
old sink and rusty pitcher pump that
stood at the end of the sink. She Won
to hate that old iron hand pump which
had to be primed before it would give
forth even a small stream of water
She turned her eyes, resolved to find
something pleasant to look at and,
alas. her eyes we'll upon big, heavy
yellow bowl.
moaned. Il have mixed everything
I've cooked for 30 years-no 30 years
and 2 months exactly, in that old
bowl. Why, that's half a lifetime!
I suppose If / could see all the bar"
rels of flour and sugar I've stirred
up in that old bowl-and the lamps
I've washed, and the water I've
pumped from that pesky pitcher
pump. why-Oh, well, l mustn't get
to figuring or I'll be fit subject for
the asylum, and / was reading only
yesterday that the majority of women
who are put away are small far
mers' wives just like me.
well, don't wonder OF they do go
out of their heads what with the
drudgery and monotony. Surely,
washing the same lamps and using
the same mixing bowl for $50 months
that would be 10,800-Oh. there
I go again! I'll say it's getting on
my nerves. ! sometimes wonder II
Henry had to do the work in this
house day after day. if he wouldn't
see the necessity of having few con.
veniences. He has running water in
the barn and he buys every new
tangled thing to help him get his
work done quicker-easier should
say.
Huh. Maybe I'm to blame for not
asking for what is rightfully my share
of the new-fangled things. Maybe
1 haven't kept up with the times.
I'll ask him about electric lights this
very day" and Cula, willing as usual
to blame herself for any of Henry's
shortcomings. felt almost lighthearted
so sure was she that the electric lights
would be forthcoming for the asking.
That noon Cula asked Henry. She
waited until he had eaten full
meal of corned beef and apple dump
ling.
Henry" she said, whats the
matter with our having electric lights
put in the house? Since Holsworth's
have had 'em put in the wire goes
right by our house"
Henry gave her a cautious look.
He glanced up at the shelf full of
cleaning lamps and said with a grin:
lamps giving out?"
mo. that's one thing that'H never
happen" Cula said. But all the farm
ers up this brook but us have elec-
trio lights"
"Well, can't you get emf" Henry
answered sourly. We've got along so
far with kerosene lamps and 1 don't
see any use of making a change. I'm
satisfied to do all the reading / do by
a lamp, that what little reading
find time to do. If you didn't fool
away so much time puttering round
the house you'd get your reading done
before dark. l don't see my way clear
to spend any money fOolishly just now,
and anyway I've been thinking OF
getting me CAR
Well" said Cula with more spirit
than she had ever shown before, Il
wouldn't give a cent for a car, but
/ would like the lights and the water
from the spring piped into the
Kitchen"
There you go again." Henry in
terrupted. First it's lights and then
it's water. Why, if didn't curb your
foolishness, woman, you'd have me
in the poorhouse inside six months.
Next thing you'll be wanting a hired
girl" And Henry left the house,
muttering to himself.
Cula sat a long time at the table
with her chin resting in her cupped
hand. She felt a strange sensation
of warmth mounting TO her head.
She didn't realize that it was tenn
per. She had been q good, saving,
hard working wife to Henry for over
80 years and she knew by Henry's
frequent boastings to their neighbors
that he was putting money away
every day. They had no children to
leave a cent to. Cula had never
asked for anything that was not per-
fectly reasonable, and she felt she
was not doing so now.
Finally, with a sigh, Cula rose from