He had a dishpan full of soapy water, and he kept sloshing the
water through the chimney. Grandma, propped up in her bed like
always, was eating her supper and watching Grandpa.
"Thad, you ought'a get a rag and wash that chimney right."
"Bandershanks, tell Jodie I'll come on as soon as I can put
some oil in these dratted lamps!"
"Quit muttering and complaining, Thad. A-body can't expect
lamps to give out a decent light if they don't keep the wicks
trimmed and the chimneys polished-and put oil in them!"
Grandpa said for me to run on back home before I heard him
say what he was thinking.
"Just tell Nannie not to wait supper on me, Bandershanks.
I'll be out there directly, though."
We did wait. All of us sat down around the supper table to
wait-that is, all except Wiley. Papa sent him back out to the
hall washstand to rewash his gritty hands.
Mama and Papa kept talking back and forth over the top of my
head, mainly about how little milk old Moolie was giving. Papa
said it wasn't time for her to go dry, 'cause she wouldn't
freshen till spring.
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