Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-03-24
A STORY OF THE MOUTH.
How the Citizen Named SandgriD
was DemOralized by the
Game of "Fifteen."
Charleston Is. c. Nows.l

OharlestOn ". " News
There is a well-known citizen of
this city, named Sandgrip, who does
business on the bay. He is in the
same line, deals with about the same
people, makes about the same profits
and operates under the same firm
name that his grandfather did about
1920. Mr.. Sandgrip wears a high col
lar with black neckcloth, carries an
umbrella rain or shine, and hadn t
varied six minutes in his meals and
office hours in thirty years until last
Thursday. The political and business
changes of the past have not stirred
him, and when bombshells were flying
about in Broad street he never came
out of his office to look at them. he
never reads anything in the papers
outside of the heavy editorials and
market matters.
Last Wednesday, at four p.m..
somebody handed him square box. a
present for the youngest Sandgrip,
and it was duly delivered. That
evening at eight o'clock the boys
idgeting and groaning in corner
attracted his fathers attention, and
inquiry elected the information that
he was tearing his hair because he
couldn't get the II from behind the y
without putting the 10 up next to
the s.
Stick at it, my son" said Mr..
Sandgrip, with paternal benevolence.
Conquer it, and you will have val
liable lesson in the possibilities of
perseverance and patience guided by
reason"
At S:l5 the boy was still fdgeting,
and his father with a patronizing
smile bent over him. The figures at
that time stood: l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, rs, 8,
10, IL, T. 13, 15, ii. Mr.. Sanderip
studied at it moment, and then adj
dressed the family. He remarked
that even so trihing and simple a thing
as the little puzzle before them could
inculcate a moral, aud then showed
the little blocks around for a minute
or two. At $40 he sat down. He
then had l, 2, 3, 5, 6, 4, Z, s, 8, 10, II,
10, II, IA, l3. At 8:25 a cheerful
smile Illuminated his countenance,
and he turned to his admiring house
hold with a playful wave of the
hand as he confidently pushed the
blocks into position. But he hest
tated a moment, smiled and pushed
again, and his face tied up in a hard
knot, as he came to halt. He had
|, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Z, s, 8, 10, II, II, 13, 10,
IA. AT 8:35 he began to fidget him
self. Between that time and 8.45 he
had sent five of the young Sandgrips
to bed for volunteering advice. At 8
O'Clock his wife went away in tears for
the first time in a married life of
twenty summers, having disturbed an
intricate calculation that Mr.. Sand
grip was sure would solve the problem.
At $3.50 his chair was crushed to frag-
ments. At 10 o'clock he tore off his
shirt collar. At II o'clock he had-9,
10, 5, Z, 6,2, /, 3, 4, 8, IA, 10, 13, II, u.
At u midnight he kicked the bottom
cut Of another chair. At o'clock
he began to pull his hair
out. At 2 he made threaten
ing demonstrations with a lamp
at Mrs. S., who came down to implore
him to so to bed, and drove her af-
frighted from his presence. AT three
o clock he had, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, rs, 8,
10, II, II, l3, Is, IA, At 4 he kicked
over table. At 430 he had, 2, 3,
4, 8, 6, Z, s, 8, 10, II, u, 10, 10, Il.
At 5 o'clock he threw photograph
album through the window at the
family milk vender, and shook his fist
at oolored man going to work on the
other side of the street. At 6o'clock
be had-1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, s, 8, 10, II,
II, l3, Is. H. At $50 am. he had
8, IL, !, 10. 4, 3. Is, 8, IA, l3, 2, ,5,7,6,
II. At 7 o'clock be said damn" for
the first time in his life. At half-past
seven he kicked another hole in the
drawing-room window, threw the box
into the street, and went to breakfast.
At Y minutes past 8 O'Clock, as
usual, he left his front gate. Moved
by certain impulse, be walked to