River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-08-11
AN INTRICATE PROPOSITION
with which Major Wax Greatly Puz
Zied His Wife.

/ From the San Francisco Chronicle.
| "Did it ever occur to you, my dear,
that a person going overland would
have to mail two letters a day from the
train in order to have one letter day
return to San Francisco" asked Major
Max the other evening, after the cloth
was removed from the table, and his
wife was. pouring his glass of two-thirds
benedictine and one-third curacora,
which the Major contended was the on
ly civilized drink with which to prepare
for the after-dinner cigar.
Mrs. Max passed the Major his cordi-
al and waited moment before reply
| ing: "Why, no; it seems to me that if
a person travelling east mailed letter
each day by a westward bound train, a
letter would arrive here each day."
Mrs. Max answered cautiously, for
while she knew that the Major pretend
ed to deplore the fact that she was il
logical, he really derived much COM
fort from his superior comprehension,
and was somewhat addicted to studying
out intricate propositions with which
to puzzle the lady
you think so, do you?" queried the
Major, as though about to be convinced
by her, while in truth he only wanted
her to commit herself more decidedly,
that his victory would be more signal.
"Why, yes" Mrs. Max continued,
somewhat assured, eff you mailed a
letter on the first day out, it would get
here the next day; if you mailed one
on the day following it would arrive
here day after the first, and the let
tiers, being mailed twenty-four hours
apart, would, of course, continue to ar
rive here day apart. They couldn't
grow further apart on the road, could
they, Major"
Mrs. Max wound up this sequence of
feminine logic with a triumphant ac-
cent, and felt sure she had posed the
Major for he did not reply until after
lighting cigar. Then he said slowly:
"You post a letter the first day QUIZ
Eyes"
THAT letter arrives here the day af-
ter you leave?"
Certainly. One day gone, one letter
received"
Exactly. Well, the next day-a lit
tie curacora, straight, please-thc next
day you post another letter from the
train, and"
"And that arrives here the day after
the first, of course, making two days
out and two letters received, and so on
to New York. Eth, Major"
If Mrs. Max had not been examining
a new pattern of lace she had in her
sleeves she might have noticed the sat
isfed smile the Major had as he leaned
back in his chair and said: "The sec
ond day out you would be at Ogden?"
"Yes."
Wouldn't it take as long for letter
to return to San Francisco as it had
taken you to go to Ogden?"
81 suppose So"
''Then the second letter would arrive
here two days after you arrived at Og
den, and four days after you left here?'
Mrs. Max looked up and said, hest
tatipgly:
"Well, l don't see how you make
that out"
Il did not make it out, Mrs. Max. L
only asked if was right"
mo, you are not; if you post let
ter on Il returning train each day, say
that letter must arrive here each day,
and | don't care"
"Mrs. Max, how long does it take to
go to New York;"
"Seven days, suppose"
''Ihen a letter day would be seven
letters. You would post your sixth let
ter en- your sixth day out, and it would
take it six days more to return. being
twelve days after you left here. Now,
as you had only mailed five letters be-
fore the one which arrived on the
twelfth day, how could letter day
have arriyed?'
Mrs. Max thought a moment, and
then asked with considerable warmth:
''Do you mean to say, Major Max, that
if a person going to New York posts
letter on San Francisco train each
day that it takes two weeks for all those
letters to arrive here?"
at certainly would" replied the Ma
jor, glowing comfortable behind his CT
gar He knew Mrs. Max acknowl
edged her defeat by the way she rang
for the tea, but she would not ask for
urther explanation,