Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-02-25
john Happy on one Davenports.

During the exhlDltlOn OF tne DaNeH-
port Sisters, and of my fragile friend,
hthe Culprit Fay" number of the most
influential audience had selected me as
a committee of one to 90 on the stage
and tie the exhibitors. was politely
assisted over the footlights by the blonde
brother, hauled over to the brunette, and
by him was introduced to Professor Fay,
who Immediately asked me if could tie
a good knot. told him ] could tie any
thing from Gordian knot to" not for
Joe;7 but when he asked me with bland
smile if | could tie the brothers fast to
the cabinet, ] assured him that | could
tie them at the rate of nine knots an
hour, if he thought that fast enough.
We proceeded Immediately to business.
| tied double bow-knotin the brunette S
left leg, his right arm into ship-knot
over his neck, splicing the fingers Sc
curely with the toes Of the right leg and
hung him on the nail usually occupied
by the fiddle. ] then plated the blonde
brothers legs together and drew them
into a hard knot at the ankles, put a
bow-knot in both of his elbows, and
raised a knot on his forehead trying to
stuff his head into his vest pocket; fail.
ing in which put him on the floor Of
the cabinet and sat on him. Then,
after tying all the instruments together
to one Of the seats, and being myself
tied by Culprit Fay, the doors were
closed and / was shut out from the sym
pathetic gaze of my fellow-citizens, and
yelled in Egyptian darkness for what
seered to me to be an age. My sensa-
tions were very peculiar. 1t is not pleas
ant to be shut up in the dark with a
couple of brothers. And yet-and yet
Il am glad it was not a couple of Sis
tiers. 1t would be painful, l imagine, to
be tied up in the dark that way with a
couple of young ladies-I never tried1t,
but-well, no matter Besides, do not
know that Mrs. II. would be disposed to
take a scientific view Of it. So perish
the thought.
Bangl
Just then a tamborine got loose and
caromed on the only bald spot of my
head as if reading my cogitations. The
unseen forces we're marshalling their
hosts, and now the discord began. II
there was less harmony in that cabinet
lust then, than in Mr.. Grants, it was not
for any lack Of material so much as an
evident want of appreciation on the
part Of the performers Of what is crltl-
cally known as high art in music. My
ears we're tickled with bell clappers; the
guitars seemed to be installing the end
of nv coat tail for base ball; the metal
horn was boring me for oil under the
diaphragm, and while one Of the unseen
forces was shampooing my hair, an
other was milking my nose after the
manner Of a cows teat. begged sus.
pension of the rules, when
Silence, like pOultice came.
To heal the blows Of sound
and the doors we're kindly thrown open,
and ! sat blinded by the foot lights, until
released and restored to the bosom oil
my family. From that hour have been
an object Of interest 10 my intimate &C.
quaintances. have not been permitted
"a stand treat once since the DaVenports
folded their cabinets like Arabs and as
silently stole away. have been be
sieged BY the SaedBts Of the community
at many street corners, and have ex-
pounded the philosophy Of the whole
thing to my infinite satisfaction from in
Vulnerable saloon counters and from the
official tables Of many legal sauctuaries.
The theories developed by my audiences
AT different times are varied and IN
fathomable. Doctor Bromyde 4 think
of Potassia), and one OF the most
learned pundits Of that refined suburb
by the way, is satisfied there is more Of
the power Of cellular tissue in the force
employed by the brothers than there can
possibly be Of archaeological protO
plasm. Parson Rubric, from the little
/ church, not around the corner, but
over the left, has turned it to adyan
tage in occasional pulpit disquisitioni
on the cold, cold trail Of possible foot
prints on the boundaries Of another
world. Lawyer Coke, from Litileton, o.
every court meeting, relierates th'
enthusiastically Of the whole
case, as legitimate construction Of am
known law Of force. Unhitching hi
horse in an e post .facfo manner, hi
parting Parthian argumentative shot a
regular Jury candidates is ever and in
yariably to the effect that nothing but {