Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1872-10-26
VARIETY.
SalIie's Bedtime.

A father. not very f,r from here, read in
the paper the other morning that thc Utica
girls who want their bcanx 90 so homethesanc
night they call pull string a. tho proper
hour which reyerses a picture, on the back q
which appear the words. " Ten o'ci,ck Is my
bedtime"
This father. who has a daughter given 10
late hours when a certain youth sits mp and
helps her keep them, thought he would Try this
Utica plan, 81 he wrote ia large characters on
the back Of huge portal; Of George Washing
ton, this inscription
"lO o'cLccE Is sAIIIEs BEDTIME
Then he arranged the picture So that when he
attached a string to the frame, he could reverse
i, from his bel-chamJcr. But when Sallie en-
tered the room one hour later, her asthetie eye
was outraged by observing the portrait of
George hanging slightly out Of plumb, 50 to
speak AMI adjusting it, her fathers little game
was revealed in al its subtle ingenuity.
Sallis was not Utica girl, however,, so she
lust weutto work and neatly egaccd the G.-
urs 0" leaving the standing solitary aud
uprisht-wLich, You viii observe, made a few
hours difference in her bedtime. That night
as usual, Sllls receiveda visit from her young
man-which Dis front name was Uenry-ani
her pa;ernsl parent attached his string to c..
VS. portrait, aud retired 10 bis downy couch.
About ten o'clock while Henry aud Saliie
were deeply absorbed ia some kuotty problem,
with their heads so contiguous that you couldn't
insert Piscs Of tissue paper between them,
the Father Of bis C)u4tgy suddenly turned his
face to the wall as &c he was ashamed 10 gaze
upon such doiugs Henry with a sudlsn
start glanced at the picture, and aw the hand
writing on The wall, as !; were, which real
o'clock is Salies bedtime Then Henry
looked a,Sa,.isvi,h an in,crrosa iu bis eve,
which was partly disp,I,sj by the fair maid
murmuring Is al. right Henry said Of
course il was an right-tha,ae hal long known
one o'clock Was her bed time. AMI 10 thought
it was plenty late enough, t'o. Gr q young
girl to b. on; Of bed bu; VIA, business. be
said, bad George Washing,.a's portrait 60 De-
Topping abou, chat way Thea S,ll.s exc
plai0ei-ani twain resumed work oa heTrlJ-
lem, Ueury putting bis arms around SalGs 90
prcvout her falling OF tbe chair
Mcaap bile tie Oh mlu vls listening for
the front door % open. and BIS woull-te SON
in-law's footsteps paiuius over the pavement
With the tres oi Dis boots pointing from the
house These sounds uot failing upon bis ears
aud thinking may 10 tlc Oh thing jiI not
WORK right he gave tas string another pull
and Gsors, W. asl,a fcel the au]sn,e-
Then be listened, tut be heard uo laot-step-
nothing bu. a peculiar sound something re-
sembins the popping Of champagne corss.
Then le grew cross, and gave the string
aao.her jerk causing g.. ~. 90 turn about with
violent sullelasss. JUS. as if be was dreadful
ly outol hum5r too.
And still All was quis, Jolow-cyccp; iL5s
popping sound.
Theu the string was pulled asain-aud again
and ssain-indicating that the oh fellow
was Just ready tn explode with rage. And for
fully fifteen minutes did he have the portrait,
OF the man who would not tell lie turning
excited iiip-faps aud things on the wall. Ike
d bswtcled gymuast, unit, he fell asleep ex-
hsustgl-Sa,i.e's father fy,l asleep not ta. po--
Trait.
L. Ill ~ IT.. Ill . .. 49, ..