The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-10-09

81 938.
WILMINGTON, O,tober 8.-Cottou firm
49, GAS.
SALnIE's BED T1ME.-A father, not very
Tar from here, read in the paper the
other morning that the Utica girls who
want their. beaux to go home the same
night they call, pull a string at proper
hour which reverses "a picture, on the
oack OF which appear the words. 40
O'Clock is my bed d-time."
This father, who has daughter given
to late hours when q certain youth sits
up and helps her. keep them, thought he
would try this Utica plan, so he wrote in
large characters, on. the back OF a huge
portrait OF George Washington, this in.
scrlption: 10 O'Clock is Sallie's bed
time" Then be arranged the picture 80
That when he attached string to the
frame be could reverse it from his bed
chamber. But when Sallie entered the
room an hour later, her aesthetic eve was
outraged by observing the portrait of
George hanging out of plumb, SO to
speak, and in adjusting it her fathers
little game was revealed in all it's subtle
ingenuity. So she just went to work
and neatly effaced the figure 30" leaving
the l standing solitary and upright
which, you will observe. made o few
hours difference in her bedtime. The
night, as usual. Sallie received visit
from her young man-which his front
name it was Henry-and her paternal
parent attached his string to e. WIS
portrait, and retired to his downy couch.
Abont 10 o'clock, while Harry and
SAllie were deeply absorbed in some
knotty problem. with their heads 80
contiguous that you couldn't insert
piece Of tissue paper between them. the
Father of his Country suddenly turned
his facs to the wall, as il he was ashamed
to gaze upon such doipgs. Henry, with
a sudden start, glanced ut the picture.
and saw the handwriting on the wall, as
it were, which read: 81 O'Clock is Sallie's
bedtime" Then Henry looked at Sallie
with an interrogation in his eve, which
was purity dispelled by the fair maid
murmuring, ''It's all right" Henry said
OF course it was all right-that he had
long known l O'Clock was her bedtime.
and he thought it was plenty late enough
for young girl to be out of bed: but
what business, he said, had George
Washington's portrait to be flopping
about in that way? Then Sallie ex.
planned, and the twain resumed work on
the ploblem-Henry putting his arms
around Sallie to prevent her falling off
the chair.
Meanwhile, the old man was listening
for the front door to open, and his
would-be son-in-law's 8 footsteps patteripg
over the pavement, with the toes of his
boots pointing from the house. The
sounds not falling upon his ears, and
thinking maybe the old thing didn't
work right, he gave the string another
pull, and q. w. again faced the audience.
Then he listened; but be heard no foot
steps-nothing but u peculiar sound.
something resembling the popping of
champagne corks. Then he grew cross,
and gave the string another jerk, causing
It. w. to turn about with violent sud.
denness. just az if he was drendfully ont
OF humor, too. And still all is quiet be.
low-except that popping sound. Then
The string was pulled again, and again,
and agaln-indloa eating that the old fellow
was Just ready to explode with rage.
And for fully fifteen minutes did he have
the portrait of the man who could not
tell lie turning excited flip flaps and
things on the wall, like bewitched GYM
mast, until he fell asleep exhausted
Sallie's father fell asleep, not the por-
trait. Henry kissed Sallie good. night ut
o'clock A. NJ, remarking, as hn did so,
that 1t would seem like long, long,
weary year ere he would see her again
because, you know, he didn't expect to
see her again until the evening of that
day.
The next morning, her father exa-
mined that portrait, and when lie fully
understood the situation, he was panied.
he shed q silent tear, detached the
string. sponged out the inscription, and
walked away with weight of fifty years
on his shoulders-that being his age
He says girl who will go back on her
father that way would just as lief as not
disgrace her parents by marrying a Con.
gressman.
b. Dddd in Norristoun Herald.
1u Paris all kinds of n]aits irosoea