Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-10-18
Mr.. FORCEPS EXPERIMENT.

adrift, and, perhaps, be compelled to
keep corner grocery for subsistence.
Mr.. F0RCEPS EXPERIMENT.
We recently published an item to the
effect that amusement for the home
circle could he obtained by setting up
stick III basin of water, and placing n
spider on the top of the stick. The
amusement consists in watching the
SPIDER throw II strand of web to the
edge OF the basin, and by it crawl to
shore. 1t is pretty experiment, we
have been told Mr.. Forceps tried it
Sunday afternoon. He made the ar
Engagements complete. Then he caught
Il spider, a big fellow, and put it on top
OF the stick. He did it for the amuse-
ment of the whole family, but they
having neglected to answer his calls,
the thing was fixed without their pres
cncc, and he was in quite a furry of
excitement getting them together His
wife was up stairs trying to think where
she had put the pillow cases for the
front bed room, and was not exactly in
the humor of spider Watching but he
tried II little vigorous language, and she
cana down. Then he hunted up his
daughter Julia, who was at the gate
with II young gentleman. He brought
them in, looking anxiously at the spider
who had not yet moved, thank heaven,
and commenting in surprised manner
at the singular lack of appreciation on
the part of his family. Then he
plunged into a back room where,his son,
Adolphus, was making n sloop, and
called him. But Adolphus didn't care
to see spider, and the impatient and
sorely-tried parent was obliged to take
him by the collar and jerk him ont into
the dining room, and cuff him on the
head two or three times, before the
young man felt a yearning to look into
the intrcacies of the experiment. Hav-
ing got them all together, Mr.. Forceps
| got down on his knees, feeling the full
weight of his responsibility in the
matter, and eyed the spider with painful
intensity. A half houl passed, still the
spider did not move. Mrs Forccps was
suddenly struck with an idea There y
she exclaimed - Forceps looked up
eagerly" Iii bet those pillow cases are
i'll the chest i'll the back bedroom" she
added. Mr.. Forceps grated his teeth,
and turned again to the spider. "Ill
bet he's asleep" volunteered Adolphus.
Mr.. Forceps intimated that he would
split any one open who took the wager,
and silence was again restored. Still
the spider did not stir. 1t is likely it
had not seen the item i'll the papers, and
didn't know what was expected of it.
Mr.. Forccps grew more nervous and i'm
patient every moment. The longer the
spider delayed moving, the harder Mr.
Forccps stared at it. He was thus en-
gagged when Mrs. Forceps emitted a
sharp cry, and he looked up just in
time to save himself. Adolphus, with
( the knife he had used on the sloop in
his hand, had become so oppressed by
the magnitude of the experiment, that
he had actually fallen asleep, and losing
his balancehe struck against his mother,
and bounced thence over into the midst
of the group, the knife describing a
circle in its descent, and in Il direct line
with the back of Mr.. Forccps' skull.
He looked up just in time to save him
self, but not the experiment. The I'M
happy youth went down i'll the BASIN
with crash, knocking the contents
over the family and driving the point of
the stick into his fathers knee. The
shock awoke him, and with that instinct
peculiar to boys, he apprehended dis
turbance, and promptly dartcd ont of
the house. The old gentleman went
| directly to his room, took off his clothes,
and went to bed, leaving Mrs. Forceps
to clean up the muss and explain to
to those who cared to know, that the
house would look like hog pen in spite
of all her efforts. NcWs.