The Clothes Line
Those of us of a certain age, can still see my Moms washing and
taking clothes out to the clothes line. Of course all the lines had
to be wiped clean to remove the black stuff (probably mold),
bird poop and a multitude of other things. Our moms accomplished all
of what was mentioned below!
You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can hear my
mother now. If you don't know what clotheslines are, you had better
skip this.
1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes-walk
the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.
2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang
"whites" with "whites," and hang them first.
3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders, always by the tail! What
would the neighbors think?
4. Wash day is on a Monday! Never hang clothes on the weekend, or
Sunday, for heaven's sake!
5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide
your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know)!
6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather. Clothes would
"freeze-dry."
7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins
left on the lines were "tacky!"
8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each
item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes
pins with the next washed item.
9. Clothes in the basket, and ready to be ironed.
10. Ironed?! Well, that's a whole other subject!
**********
POEM
A clothesline was a news forecast
To neighbors passing by
There were no secrets you could keep
When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a friendly link
For neighbors always knew
If company had stopped on by
To spend a night or two.
For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"
And towels upon the line
You'd see the "company table cloths"
With intricate designs.
The line announced a baby's birth
From folks who lived inside
As brand new infant clothes were hung
So carefully with pride!
The ages of the children could
So readily be known
By watching how the sizes changed
You'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when illness struck
As extra sheets were hung
Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too
Haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "Gone on vacation now"
When lines hung limp and bare
It told, "We 're back!" when full lines sagged
With not an inch to spare!
New folks in town were scorned upon
If wash was dingy and gray
As neighbors carefully raised their brows
And looked the other way.
But clotheslines now are of the past
For dryers make work much less
Now what goes on inside a home
Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that way of life
It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew each other best
By what hung on the line!
Copyright for photos remains with original copyholders
Author is unknown
