The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-08

our coming! When we stopped at the
gate the weight Of the dogcart pressed
two electrical wires into contact, which,
passing underground, rang one bell in the
stable yard and another in the kitchen,
so that when we arrive the servants are
ready to attend upon u.s. ..- ..
We now entered the house. Miss Gra-
dent met us in the hall, and vas intro
duced to her by her brother. l should
never have supposed her to be Harry's
sister, for she was tall and gaunt; and
whether it was the blue .spectacles or
not could not say, but she struck me as
being frigid and severe; not at all the
sort Of person you would care to'offsnd.
She. however, babe me welcome asking
me if I had pleasant journey, &c.
As was taking off my ovcrcoat in the
hall exclaimed: Why, Harry. what on
earth is that extraordinary-looking ma
chine in the corner?'' 1t looked some.
thing like shower-bath without the
curtains: attached to the upright sup
ports were number Of crooked iron
arms, and on the end of each brush.
"Oh, that is my automatic brushing.
machine. I will explain it to you. You
J see, at the bottom there is small plat.
form about foot high when you step
on this it gradually decends, and, IS it
docs so, sets in motion train Of wheels
and levers--you are, in fact, the weight,
the motive power which puts all in mo.
ton. All these arms with the brushes
begin to revolve, and brush you all over
at once. But the most curious and com.
plicated is the hat.brush at tho top: you
see it is something like hat.brush d.
vided vertically in two parts; you per.
ceive that they are now some distance
apart, so that you can pass behind them
they are lined with bristles, and are fix.
ed on two lever-likejaw When the ma.
chine is set in motion, these jaws come
together, and, clasping your hat between
them, they revolve rapidly; and in few
seconds your hat is brushed, at the same
time as your coat. trousers and boots.
When the platform reaches the ground,
the hat.brushs again separate, and you
step out; then the platform springs up,
and is ready for another dusty customer"
"Well, it is very curious continuance.
l should like to see it in action I
said.
'That you shall soon do" and he step.
ped on the little platform. All at once
the clothes and shoe.brushes began to
work vigorously but the hat.machine did
not come in play until the others had
about half done their work it then closed
upon his hat, and spun around some-
fifteen or twenty times, and then flew
apart leaving him free to walk out.
"There - said Harry. ''What do you
think of that Jump up and try it,
'No, thank you not just now; some
other time, perhaps" said I; for I felt
too nervous Just then to trust myself to
such ali ordeal.
"Excuse me then for one minute while
speak to my sister, and then I will go
up stairs with you"
He had no sooner left me, than, as I
stood looking at the curious machine,
made up my mind to try it.. Nobody
was there to laugh at me if I jumped out
suddenly so boldly stepped in. The
brushes seemed to do their work very
we'll but found I must keep in my arms,
having got knock on the funny.bone of
! my elbow from sticking it out too far !;
but the hat-brush-o horror! I had
forgotten I had no hat on, and that was
bead taller than my friend; the conse.
quence was that the Internal machine
suddenly decended, and, Selling me by the
head, whirled round at frightful pace,
till I thought 70 skin would have been
left on my nose. tried to stoop and es-
cape it, but l got such blows from the re.
volving clothes-brushes that I was glad
to stand upright again. Fortunately it
was soon over, and then the hateful thing
stopped. opened my eyes and saw
Harry standing looking at me convulsed
with laughter. felt very angry at the
moment, as rushed out, with one Of my
favorite long whiskers brushed across my
face, and the other back over my car,
while my hair was twisted into vortex
on the top of my head.
1T is hateful machine cried, as
tried to rearrange my disheveled locks.
Harry roared with laughter, and as
soon as he could contain himself said
''Don't you see it was not regulated for
your height If you had tried it when l
asked you to I would have arranged it
properly
tried to laugh, and said, "Well, I've
had brushing enough; let's go up stairs
now, for I am anxious to look IN the glass
and see if there is any skin left on the
end Of my nose.
''What jolly large room - said as ]
entered the apartment that was prepar.
ed for me.
eyes, this was my poor old uncle's
room, &nd for the last year or two before
he died he used it for sitting.room as
we'll as bedroom. You sec that large
recess in the end; that is where he used tc
steep. The bed is there still as it is otter