Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-07-12

Uae1uI Invention Wntfn VIII he
Generally Adopted by the Fathers
of Marr1ageable Daughters,
Burlington Hawksye.l
A pale faced, anxious-looking
man, who looked as though he
supped with sorrow every week,
lives out on North hill with his
wife and seven lovely, blooming
daughters. He has, with all these
seven lovely daughters, only one
front gate, and that is what makes
him pale. Last summer he spent
$217 repairing that front gate, put
ting in new ones, and experiment
ing with various kinds of hinges,
and after all that the gate swung
all through the winter on a leather
strap and piece Of clothes-line,
and there was peace in the house
hold, and the man grew fat. But
when the April days were nigh, it
soon became apparent to the man
that his troubles were at hand, and
anxiety soon drove the roses from
his damask cheek and robbed his
ribs of their substance. He used
to climb over the back fence to
avoid calling attention to the dis
reputable-looking old gate, but his
self-denial was of no avail. One
evening his eldest daughter, So
phronia, said:
" Pa, that horrid old gate is the
most disgusting thing on this
street. If you can't afford to have
it fixed, Pd take it away and put
up stile."
And pa only groaned. But an
evening or so later, his youngest
daughter came in and said with
considerable warmth
"Pal | wish you had that beastly
old gate tied to your neck, that's
what | wish"
And she dissolved in tears and
evaporated up stairs in a misty
cloud, while her sisters followed
slowly, casting reproachful looks
at pa. And the next evening his
third daughter, Azalea, came
bouncing into the room about half.
past 8 o'clock, with her gloves in a
condition to indicate that she had
been patting gravel, and said, will
some energy, that if pa had no feel
ing other people had, and she
wished she was dead, she did, anC
she hoped that the next time thai
pa went out of that hateful ole
gate he'd fall from Arch street tC
the bridge, so she did. And shC
broke down and disappeared in ;
staccato accompaniment Of sob
: and sniffles. And the next tim
that pa went out of that gate, h
found it PROSTATE between the TIVE
posts, and saw that the fragile
strands of the clothes-line haC
parted under such extraordinar
. pressure, and that was what aile(
i, Azalea's gloves. Pa saw there wa
: nothing for it but a new gate
and he groaned aloud as he yiewet
= the dreary prospect of furnishing
gates to support the manly form
Of the best young men of Burling
i, ton for the next summer. II
= pondered and pondered and pon
D dered. He became the confden
/ of carpenters; he was often see
T. guiltily showing certain plans
blacksmiths and cunning worker
" in iron and steel. And in due tim
: he had a new gate up, masSiy
gate, with great posts, ornamente
and substantial, and the seven si
ters were pleased. They read i
the little brass plate that informe
them that a patent was applied fo
the words, for l30 pounds" bI
they didn't know what it NEAR
!. until last evening.
Last evening the weather, thoug
- sufficiently cool to be bracing, az
mitted a test of the new gate.
- murmur of voices arose from I'll
vicinity of that popular lovers I
treat, as Sophronia swung idly
and fro on its heavy frame. Pre-
emily pale faced man, who he
his hand upon his breast to still b
beating heart, as he crouched in
y dark corner Of the porch, hea
ir- Rodolphus say;
- Rut halinva mo Sonhronin. n