The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-09-26
MIR. rorcep's Experiment.

owe recently published" says the
Danbury Meas, an item TO the effect
that amusement for the home circle
could be obtained by setting up a stick
in basin of water, and placing spider
on top of the stick. The amusement
consists in watching the spider throw q
strand OF web to the edge O.. the basin
and by it crawl to shore. 1t is a pretty
experiment we have been told. Mr..
Foreeps tried it Sunday afternoon. He
made the arrangements complete.
Then he caught spider, big fellow.
and put it on top OF the stick. He didit
for the amusement of the whole family,
but they having neglected to answer his
GALE, the thing wss fixed without
their presence, and he was in quite q
furry of excitement getting them to-
gether. His wife was up stairs trying
to think where she had put the pillow
cases for the front bedroom, and was
not exactly in the humor of spiders
watching; but he tried little vigorous
language, and she came down: Then
he hunted up his daughter Julia, who
was at the gate with young gentle
man. He brought them in, looking
an1iously at the spider who had not
vet moved, thank heaven, and COM
mentiug in a surprised manner at the
singular lack OF appreciation on the
part OF his family. Then he plunged
into a back room where his son, Adolf
phus, was making a sloop, and called
him. But Adolphus didn't care to
see a spider, and the impatient and
sorely tried parent was obliged to take
him By the collar and jerk him out iu-
to the dining room, and cuff him on the
head two or three times, before the
young man felt yearnipg to look into
the intrcacies of the experiment. Hav.
ing got them all together, Mr.. Forceps
got down on his knoes, feeling the full
weight of his responsibility in the mat
ter, and eyed the spider with painful
intensity. A half hour passed still the
spider did not move. Mrs Forceps was
suddenly struck with an idea. There"
she exciaimed-Forceps looked up ea-
gerlv-"l'll bet those pillow-cases Gre
| in the closet in the back bed room" she
added. Mr.. Forceps grated his teeth
and turned again to the spider. "IlI
bet he's asleep" volunteered Adolphus
Mr.. Eorceps intimstcd. that he would
split any one open who took the wa
ger, and silence was again restored
Sui the spider did not stir. 1t il
likely it had not seen the item in the
papers, and didn't know what was ex'
pectcd of it. Mr.. Forceps grew more
nervous and impatient every moment
The longer the spider delayed moving
the harder Mr.. Forceps stared at IT.
He was thus engaged when Mrs. For.
ceps emitted sharp cry, and he looked
up Just IN time to save himself. Adol.
phus with the knife he had used in the
sloop in his hand, had become so OPP
pressed by the magnitude Of the exper"
Imeut that he had actually fallen
asleep, and, losing his balance, he struck
against his mother, and bounced thence
over into the midst of the group, the
knife describing o circle in its de-
scent, and IN direct linz
with the back of Mr.. For
ceps' skull. He looked up just in time
to save himself, but not the experiment
The unhappy youth went down in the
basin with q crash, knocking the con-
tents over the family, and driving the
point of the stick into his fathers knee
The shock awoke him, aud, with tha
instinct peculiar 10 boys, he appreh end.
Cd disturbance, and darted out Of the
house. The Old gentleman went direct
ly to his room, took off his clothes ant
went to bed, leaving Mrs, FOrceps to
clean up the muss and explain to those
who cared to know, that the "house
would look like hog-pen in spite Of
| oil her efforts