Life — April 2, 1903 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Trying His Hand. “ HAT I cl this,” said Dim- pleton,‘‘thatif had complete charge of this household, as * you have, I would run it on business princi Men know how to man- age these things so much better than women. They are trained in method. Instead of being on my feet all day, which you are constantly complaining of, I would have several hours to self. It's business, that’s all, and wome don't know how “Why not try it for a day or so?” Mrs. Dimpleton. ‘I will visit Aunt Jane to-morrow night, and you can stay at home and manage in your own way. “Done! exclaimed Dimpleton, “I've long wanted to give you a lesson in prac- tical affairs, I'll send word to the office that I won't be down, and you can getoff as early in the morning as possible. AI I want is the formula for making the baby's milk, and the keys.” Mrs. Dimpleton was off at seven o'clock the next morning, and Dimpleton, the mo- ment the door closed, smiled a triumphant smile and proceeded to his study ap I ever had,” be A day of qu said » This is the greatest s chuckled to himself. interrupted reading. I will make out m: pondered this matter der all these y He sat down and wrote the followin NOTIC This schedule goes into effect until further orders. In case of other instructions, I may be seen in my study from 10 to 11 daily 2. G. DIMPLETON, tun But in the meantime T haven't ver my wife's shoul- schedule. ars for nothing.” 6:30—All rise. 5—Cook will make fire. Nurse will dress baby. Waitress dust halls and library 7:00—Waitress will set table. Cook will prepare breakfast. Nurse will feed baby. 7:30—Break fast. 8:00—Cook and waitress will breakfast. B:15— urse will breakfast while cook and waitress mind baby. They can al- ternate every other tim 8:30—Nurse_ will wheel him one mile. 9:00—Nurse will wash dishes. 10:00 —Nurse will feed baby. Waitress will make all beds. 1:00 (P. M.)—Nurse will feed baby. Wait- ress set table. Cook prepare luncheon. take baby out and 1:30—Lunecheon. 2:00—Nurse will put baby to sleep will make baby's milk. Formula: Two tablespoonfals of cream to half pint water and half pint milk. Nurse will wake up baby (very nd feed him. J—Waitress will set tabi Nurse Cook will prepare dinner. Nurse bathe baby, feed him and put him te §:30—Dinner. 11;00—Lights out. “There,” said Dimpleton, as he rang the bell and handed the card to the waitress. “There, Marie, put this in a place in the back hall girls to read it carefully leep. spicuous the other Marie held the rather imposing looking card, with its bold characters, gingerly be- tween her fingers, and retired slowly. “Very well, sir,” she said as she backed out. “ Now,” said Dimpleton, lighting a cigar. “for a few hours’ solid comfort.” He had just had a good breakfast and was at peace with all the world. In five minutes he was absorbed in the stirring incidents of the front page of his newspaper. Suddenly there obtruded upon his con- sciousness a low wail that grew loude louder and still loud of short, sharp, and sion ng to his feet and Lounded upstairs tothe nurse: ‘The cook, with the baby in her arms, was doing her best to pacify that recalcitrant youth “ Where's the nurse?” said Dimpleton. “Sure, sur, she's eatin’ her breakfast.” Dimpleton remembered the schedule a certain sense of pleasure that it was being carried ont, even though the result was more discordant than he had thought of. In the meantime the nurse, attracted by the commotion, came running up the stairs. “Maggie,” said Dimpleton to that fune- tionary, as the baby quieted down in her arms, “I never heard him do that before at this hour. What's the matter?” “Mrs. Dim while I was ea Maggie “Well, you go back and finish,” said Dimpleton, “and I'll amuse him myself.” And for fifteen minutes he pl a horse. Then he went back to his study. He had been there about ten minutes when there wos a timid knock. It was the cook. “ Excuseme, sur,” she said, “ but whatare we to have for lunch, an’ for dinner? ” “What do you usually have to-day?” asked Dimpleton, with slight chagrin. “You're the cook, aren't you?” on alway ing my b held him, sir, akfast,”” sa ed he was “Sure, sur, the missus ginerally goes to the market in the mornin’.” “OF course,” said Dimpleton, vaguely. Here a whole department, and the most im- portant one-of all, had entirely slipped hi mind. He must go to market. Otherwise he would yet poor things to eat. He knew that—and yet — well, this morning he was too busy. He would for once trust to the butche “All right, Bridget,” he said, “IU fix that.” He stepped to the telephone, and in obe- dience to the suggestions from the other end, in five minutes had ordered enough to supply a fair-sized regiment, But it was “TL have enough to eat, any- ." he said to himself. Then he settled back again for three min- utes more. There was another timid knock at the door, “What the dev-——" half exclaimed Dim- pleton, “Please, sir,” said the voice of Marie, “the man to fix the water-pipes.” Dimpleton and the man went downstairs into the cellar. He groped his way along a passage where the cook had told him to go, opened the door and stood face to face with an unknown woman, “ Who are you?” said Dimpleton. The woman wiped her brow. “I'm the laundress, sur.” said she. Here was another po lity for disci- pline. “ Well, well,” said the master of the house. to himself, ** I must revise that schedule.” He showed the man about the pipes, or rather the man persuaded him that anew set Was necessary, and once more he went back to bis stue But much to his surprise, it was now luncheon time— and nothing done. Dimpleton sat down to # profusion of food. Never before, it seemed to him, had he seen so much of it together at one time. “ Marie,” he said to the waitress, ‘* what is the meaning of all this?” “TI don't know, sir,” said Marie the cook, sir. The cook sa: plained, as she reentered the room, the things came, and there's twice as much for dinner, and, and ——" She lowered her voice to a whisper “Tilask She had to cook ‘em to keep ‘em, as there was no room in the refrigerator, sir.” Dimpleton sighed. “I'll know better next time,” he said to himself.‘ No living human being could strike it right the first day.” After luncheon he started back to his study to finish that front page before the af- ternoon paper was delivered. comicbooks.com