The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-11-23
The Miscarriage of a Domestic
Experiment.


Colonel Bob Ingersoll says he keeps pock-
ct book in an open drawer, remarks the Spring
field (Mass.) Republican, and his children go
and help themselves to money whenever they
want it. "They eat when they want to; they
may sleep all day if they choose and sit up all
night if they desire. L don't try to coerce
them. 1 never punish, never scold They
buy their own clothes are masters of them
selves"
gentleman living on Marshall street, who
has boy that is full as kitteny as his father,
read the article and pondered deeply. He
knew that Colonel Ingersol was a success at
raising children in the way they should 60
and he thought he would try it. The boy had
caused him considerable annoyance, and he
made up his mind that he had not treated the
boy right; so he called the boy in from the
street, where he was putting soft soap ON
lamp post, in order to see the lamp lighter
climb it, and said to him.
'My son, have decided to adopt different
course with you. Heretofore L have been care
full about giving you money, and have wanted
to know where every cent went to, and my su-
perVision has, no doubt, been annoying to you
Now I'm going to leave my pocket-book in the
bureau drawer, with plenty of money in it, and
you are at liberty to use all You want without
asking me. l want you to buy anything you
desire to; buy your own clothes, and feel as
though the money was yours and that you had
not got to account for it. Just make Yourself
at home now and try and have good time. ("
The boy looked at the old gentleman, put his
hand on his head, as though he had "got 'em
sure" and went out to see the lamp-lighter
climb that soft soap. The next day the stern
parent went out into the country shooting,
and returned on the midnight train three days
later. He opened the door with latch key,
and q strange yellow dog grabbed him by the
elbow of his pants, and shook him. he said,
''like the ague."
The dog barked and chewed until the son
came down in his night shirt and called him
off. He told his father he had bought that
dog of a fireman for Sl1, and it was probably
the best dog bargain that had been made this
season. He said the fireman told him he
could find a man that wanted that kind of a
dog.
The parent took off his pants, what tha dog
had not removed, and in the hall he stumbled
over birch. bark canoe the boy bought of an
Indian for 80: and an army musket with an
iron ramrod fell down from the corner. The
boy had paid SO for that. He had also bought
himself an overcoat with a seal-skin collar and
cuffs and complete outfit of calico shirts and
silk stockings
In his room the parent found the marble ton
of a soda fountain, wheelbarrow, and shelf
filed with all kinds of canned meat preserves
and crackers and a barrel of apples A wall
tent and six pairs of blankets were rolled up
ready for camping out, and a buckskin shirt
and pair Oh corduroy pants lay on the bed
ready for pulling on. Six fish-poles and a
basketful of fish lines were ready for business,
and an oyster can full of grub worms for bait
were squirming on the washstand The old
gentleman looked the layout over, looked at
his pocket book in the bureau drawer, as emp
ty as contribution box, and said
Young man, the times have been too flush.
We will now return to a specie basis. When
you want money come to me, and l will give
you nickel, and you will tell me what you
intend to buy with it, or III warm you. You
hear me?"