Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-23

Played tn a Burlington Family
How MIR. BRrsIiHRlOw EDjOy ed
Himaelf while His Wife Was Away
on n Visit.
r. J. Burdette, the funny man of
the Hawkeye, is responsible for the
following:
1t happened that Mrs. Barsting-
low was going down to Keokuk for
a few days, and Mr.. Barstinglow
was inconsolable. At one time he
protested that she should not 60;
he could not endure the lonesome
house during her absence. And
then again he declared that if she
must 60 he would neglect his Office
and let his business 60 to the bow
vows and he would 90 with her.
At length, however, she persuaded
him to be reasonable, and OH her
repeated assurance that she would
not remain any longer than three
days he consented to let her 90. lie
even bought her her ticket, and ordered
the carriage and paid for it two
days ahead, lest his resolution
should give way and he should for
bid her going from him. And from
that time till the morning Of her
departure Mr.. Barstinglow spoke in
subdued tones and moved about
with the air of a man whose heart
was buried under mountains Of
grief.
Before she left the house, Mrs.
Barstinglow set the phonograph in
the sitting-room, behind the clock.
Then she kissed her disconsolate
husband, and begged him to pre-.
serve his precious life for her sake
while size was away, and then she
was gone.
Every day, daring her three days.
visit in the Gate City, she received
a letter from her mourning hus-
band, begging her to come back
and telling her how lonesome he
was without her, and how like a
grave the empty house seemed, and
how the hours dragged over his
aching heart with leaden feet And
in three days she came home, and
filled the solemn house with sun,
light and laughter again.
The evening after her return to
Burlington, she took down the
phonograph.
al wonder" she said, +" what we
said last in its hearing? 1t must
have been something while we were
discussing my visit. Or may be it
has caught some of your poor, long
ing meanings while was away"
And then she turned the crank.
"Lord, no." croaked the phono-
graph, in tones of hearty reassur-
anee, "no danger of that; she's safe
in Keokuk for three days; saw her
safely off myself this morning.
Light your cigar while | light an-
other lamp and make the room look
cheerful.
"Why," exclaimed Mrs. Bars
tinglow, in countenance of amaze
ment, "what on earth is it saying?"
"0h, some nonsense someo of your
visitors have talked into it some
time or other," replied her hus-
band, nervously, "people talk all
kinds of stuff into a phonograph,
you know. They say anything for
talk"
Mrs. Barstinglow, looking only
half convinced, gave the crank an
other turn. 4st
"This is deyilish good whisky,
Barsty," calculated the machine,
earnestly. "You don't get it in
Burlington, do you?"
Mrs. Barstinglow gave a little
shrek.
"My dear" said her husband,
looking now quite as worried rs he
had looked when he was begging
her not to 60 to Keokuk, "put it
away; somebody has had it out in
the stable, and it might say some
thing perfectly shocking, you know.
Put it away"
But Mrs. Barstinglow, upon whom
the spirit Of investigation had de-
scended with great power, ground
away, and TIE phonograph, in a
voice marvelously like her hus.
J bands, went remorselessly Oh,