The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-10-03
ssliie's Bedtime

A father, not very lar from here, read
IN the paper the other morning that the
''utica girls who want their beaux to 90
home the same night they come. pull a
string ut the proper hour which reverscs
Il picture, on the back of which appears
the words, Ten O'Clock is my bed
time"
This father, who had a daughter given
to late hours when a certain vouth sits
up and helps her keep them thought he
would try this Utica plan. 50 he wrote
in large characters on the back OF a huge
portrait of Geo Washington. this inScrip-
ton:
40 O'CLOCK IS SALGIE's BEDTIME"
Then he arranged tie picture SO that
when he attached otling to the frame.
he could reverse it from his bed-rhamber
But when Sallie entered the room an h, mr.
later her aesthetic eve was outra oed bv
observing the portrait Of George hanging
slightly ont Of plumb. SO TO speak. and
III adjusting it her fathers little game
was revealed in all its subtle ingenuity.
Sali1c was not n Utica girl, however.
$" she ln>t went to work and neatly cifac-
ed the figure ''o," leaving the standing
solitary and upright which. You will
observe, make n few hours differences in
her bedtime. That night, "a usual, Sal
lie received visit from her vouno man
whose front name is Henry and her
phfrTnal parent attached His string to &
VS. portrait and retired to his .Iownv
couch.
About ten o'clock, while Henry and
Sallie We've deeply absorbed in some
knotty problem with their head. 80 con
hguous that you conld not inser n piece
OF tissue paper between them, The Father
OF this Country suddenly turned his face
to the wall rs if he was ashamed to Gaze
upon such doin@s. Henry, with start.
glanced " the picture, aud saw tha hand
writing on the wall, as il were. which
read Il o'clock is Sallie's bedtime e"
Then Henry looked at Sallic with an in
terro@ation in his eve, which wa, partly
diSpelIrd by the fair maid murmnring,
"lt's all right Henry said Of course it
was all right, that he had long known
one O'Clock was her bedtime. and he
thought it was plenty late enough. too,
for a young girl to he ont of he'd, bat
what business, he said, had WaShnetln'S
portrait 70 be Hopping abont that way
Then SAlie explained, a.,l the twain re-
SitmHd work ON the problem Henry pnt-
ting his arms around Sallie lo prevent her
falling of the chair.
MeanWhlic the old man was iSirliuy
Tor the front door to open. and His would-
be Son-m~law'S footsteps palcring over
the pavement with the Toes of his boots
pointing from the house. These sounds
not falling upon his ears, and Thinking
maybe the oli thing didn't work RIGHT he
gave the string another pull AMI George
w again faced the audience Then he
listened, but he heard no footsteps; moth
ing but peculiar sound, something
resembling the popping ot champagne
cOrks.
Then he grew cross. and gave thc
string another Jerk, cauSin@ G.. w. to
turn about with violent suddenneSS, lust
rs il he was drradfnIIv out of humor.
too.
And still all i quiet below excep that
popping sound.
Then the string was pulled again-and
a@ain-and Notwithstanding that the
old fellow was Just ready TO explode with
rage And for fully fifteen minutes aid
he have the portrait Of the man who
couldn't tell = lie turning excited Zip flaps
and things ON the wall, like 7 brwitrlcl
@ymnaSt, until he fell asleep exhausted
Sallin'S father IeIl asleep hot the por-
trait.
Henry kissed sallir gooa night at
O'Clock A. NJ. rcmtrkmg. as he did so
that it would seem like long. long
weary wear ere he would see her again
because. you know, he didn't expect to
see her again until the evening" Of that
day
Th- next morning her father examined
that portrait. and when he fully under-
stood the situation he was panied He
she'd y silent tear, detached the string,
spongrd out the inscription, and walked
away with the weight Of lillv-fve wears
on his shoulaers-that being his are. lie
says u girl who will 60 back ON her
father that way would rs lief rs not dis
grace her parents bv marrying con-
gresham. Norristown Herald