Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1872-11-30
SHllie's Bedtime.

read in the paper the other morning
that the Utica girls who want theil
beaux to 60 home the Same night they
call, pull string at the proper hour
which reverses picture, on the back
of which appear the words, "Ten o.
clock is my bed time
This father, who has a daughter
given to late hours, when a certain
youth sits up and helps her keep
them, thought to try this Utica plan
SO he wrote in large characters, on the
back OF huge portrait Of George
Washington, this inscription:
40 o'clock IS SALlIE $ BE D-TlME.
Then he arranged the picture 50 that
when he attached string to the frame
he could reverse it from his bed cham
Der. But when Sallie entered the
room an hour later, her pthetic eye
was outraged by observing the por-
trait of George hanging slightly out
of plumb, SO to speak, and in adjust
ing it her fathers little game was re-
vealed in all its subtle ingenuity.
Sallie was not a Utica girl, however,
so she Just went to work aud neatly
etIaced the figure "0'' leaving the fig
ure a. standing solitary and upright
which you will observe, made a few
hours difference in her bedtime.
That night, as usual, Sa!lie received a
visit from her young man-which his
front name it was lIenry-ani her
paternal parent attached his string TO
Il. W. s portrait, and retired to his
downy couch.
About ten 0 clock, while Henry and
Salie were deeply absorbed in some
knotty problem, with their heads 50
contiguous that you couldn't insert a
piece Of tissue paper between them,
the father of his Country sudlenI V
turned his face to the wall as if he VA
asha.nod to gave upon such doings.
Henry, with sudden start, glanced
at the picture, and saw tn" hand wri-
TIM on the wall, as it we're read g |
o'clock is SalIlo bedtime.
Then Henry looked an interrotr-
ton in hi eye, which W., partly dlH,
pcllcd bv the fair maid murmnring
1T is all right" Henry said Of course
it WIS all ri4ht--that he ha1 long
known one o'clorI; wa3 hey bed tiuc,
and i.e thought it was plenty l't"
enough for Young girl to br out Of
bed. but what business, he said. had
General Washington 5 portrait TO h"
hopolng about in that way Then
SaIlie explained, and the twain re
suned work on the prohl"m--ileurv
putting his arms around SaII!e 10 pre-
vent her from falling oft the chair
Meanwhile, the old man was listen
ing for the front door to oprn and
his would be son-in-law : footsteps
pattering over the pavement with
the toes of his boots pointing from the
house. These sounds not falling
upon his ears, and thinking may be
the old thing didn't work right, he
gave the string another pail, and
George ". again faced the audience,
Then he li~tenel but he heard no
( disappointing but a peculiar
sound, something resembling tine pop
ping Of champagne corks.
Then he grew cross, and gave the
string another jerk, causing G, W. TO
turn about with violent sulicnncEs,
inst as if he was drealfuIIy out Of hui
NOR, too.
And still all is quiet below except
that popping sound.
Then he string was pulled again
and ag.in, and again, indicating that
the ol} fellow Wa, u4t ready to eX-
pIole with RAGE. And for fully hf-
teen minutes did he have the portrait
/ of tine nIan who could not tell u lie
turning excited fl p-llaps and things
on the wall, like IL bewitchcd gym
mast, until he fell asleep, not the por-
| irHlt.
! Henry kissed Sallic goodnight at
one o'clock in the morning, remark
ing as he did SO, that it would seem
like long, long, weary year, ere he
would see her agaln-because, Won
know, he didn't expect to see her
again until the evening of that day.
I The next morning her father exam
med that portrait, and when he fully
nn1nretoO the Stuation he WAS nain-