Robert Benchley “An Evening Alone“ (1938)

With his wife gone for the evening, a man is left alone at home. Left alone to their own devices, men tend to be more thoughtful and analytical in deciding what to do than women. This man decides to figure out how the cuckoo clock on the wall works, clean out the bedroom closet where his wife has left things to accumulate, and fix the fire in the fireplace. But before he really gets down to work, he deserves a little relaxation by smoking his pipe, listening to a Strauss waltz, eating an orange, and catching up on some light reading. By the end of the evening, he gets quite a lot done - at least in his own estimation.