Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-11-30
THE BOARDERS' REVOLT.
A Matrimonial Escape from
Boarding House Bondage.

a AaNNNAENS
Boarding House bondage.
Omaha Herali.l
The meeting was intended to be pri-
vate, but the reporter took it all in
from a press in q corner of the room.
There were about fifteen young mer-
camille and railroad clerks present.
Mr.. Cheeryble was elected chair.
man. He thanked his friends for the
honor they had conferred upon him.
He would be brief. They had as
sembled for the purpose Of deyising
ways and means Of redressing the man
fold, the crying grievances they had
long suffered at the hands of the social
tyrant Of the age, the grasping, usuri-
Gus, remorseless boarding mistress.
Hear, hear, What was the pleasure
ofhis brothers?
The first speaker spoke for two NOR
tai hours. Rebecca's mother was the
first boarding house mistress. From
her days he traced the progress of the
".yrant" to the present. 1t had been
a history Of fraud, cruelty and wrong
to 2 defenseless and unmarried man.
He had been locked OUT Ct his room
because he had not paid his board Tor
two months back Great gnnsl Think
ofitl Locked out for atrile Of fifty
dollars, and his tailor hadn't even
mentioned twice that sum. Where
was he to 20 now2 He didn't know.
And if he had paid his landIady,
which he had to do before he could
remain, his collars or his cuffs, how
could he meet the boys without a
nickel in his poke? 1t was a shame.
1t was an outrage. The landlady. as
Dennis Kearney had said, must 60.
.lCries, she must. she musil'
The next speaker had lived and had
dared 70 love the daughter Of his
boarding mistress, and for that oifense
had been expelled from the roof
which sheltered his adored. Nay,
more. lie had told the embryonic
bouncer Of his love, one day at table,
with everybody around. He never
knew what struck him, but some
moments later he came to" in an
adjoining alley, and be then and there
sWore he'd never again enter that
house, even though the old lady did
keep his trunk for a little bill he had
been owing her for q time back.
Bravo, braye.'
The third orator had been borrow
ing a few buckets Of ooal' at in-
t%ervals, from a pile in his boarding
house yard, for about three weeks
back, and last night had been swamp
ed by a bucket Of ice cold water
thrown by one Of the table girls. but,
Of course, at the suggestion Of the
lady of the house, And now he had
contracted his death cold. Was he
going to board there again? Not i'll
he knew himself when he got thawed
out.
The next man hadn't eaten a meal
in twenty-four hours. He had been
driven from his house for insubor-
dination. Last year he had carved
the turkey on thanksgiving day, and
yesterday, his landlady had asked him.
nay, commanded him, To do the same
thing on next Thursday. Buthe'd be
bowed if he would. Rand why
not2' asked several. Why not he
couldn't afford it, Last year he was
sick for a week after the Job, and this
year the turkey was going to be as old
as! Methusaleh aud as tough as granite.
and he'd have to exercise Lis muscle
for q week at the gymnasium TO even
scratch the fowl.
Boisterous roars greeted the close
Of the speech. Silence being obtained. I
the chairman asked. What are W
going to do about it?' No one spoke.
The stiffness was intense. At length.
somebody in uudertone, and as if in
a joke, suggested Lets get married. "
In an instant every man was on foot,
and every voice was raised in raptur-
Gus appreciation Of the hint. Yes.
they would get married. They swore
it, as they fell upon n another's
necks. Marriage, yes, diyinely in
stituted marriage, would be to them
the panscea for all their evils. They
pledged themselves to enter its holy
bonds, With eyes streaming with tears
ofjoy, eyes which bad never been
dimmed since their last balancing act
on the paternal knee. In a paroxysm
Of Joy they rushed from the room.
ratified down the crazy stairs and out
into the starlight night, and were
gone. Merry, care-free company
The reporter regained his perpen-
dioular, dropped from one of the win.
dows to avoid detection, and walked
to his Office.
For some days back it has been
noticed that many of our young men
have "lost" their finger rings. and n
has also been observed that some oil
our young men are wearing o%irclets of
decidedly masculine types. Might
not these be temporary emblems Of
engagement?