The Osceola times., 1882-04-22
TIE FRONT GATE.
A PhiIosc ehical Dissertation on Its Pecu-
uarities and Uses.

A PhilosoP Phical Dissertation on its Peou-
uarities and Uses.
New York Times.
The front gate has always been the
fayorite lounging.place oflovers. Philo-
sophers who know nothing of the tender
passion, except as they have studied it
in books. have been at a loss to account
for this fact. The front gate is in an ex-
posed situation. 1t is visible to all who
mass alorg the street, and is in most
cases commanded by front windows,
from which the father may at any time
make observations. Why lovers should
prefer the broad publicity of gate in
such n situation to the safe retirement of
a seat under the shrubbery is something
that science can not find out. Neverthe-
less. this very publicity has its advan-
taees in the ewes of the young people.
An interview at the front gate has the
air of an accidental meeting. The young
man happens to be passing and the young
woman happens at the same moment TO
be swinging on the gate. Thus the pair
NAV meet and interchange VOWS and
portable property without exciting re-
mark on the part of casual observers.
Then there is on the part OF the young
woman the opportunity of being seen In
conversation with desirable young
man, a sight which she knows must bill
the bosoms of other girls with envy and
rage. The quiet seat under the shruD-
berry is all very well, but it is not always
easy to explain the situation to an In
truding maiden aunt and its very pri-
vacy prevents the other girls from being
tormented with jealousy.
Probably the rhythmic motion OF the
swinging gate has an attraction for
young girl at the period when she finds
her life suddenly translated into poetry.
As she waits for her lover she swings
dreamily TO and fro, keeping time with
the measure of that last delicious poem
of Tennyson that she read last night and
thought must have been written express
| ly in order to describe Charles Henry's
passion for her. When he comes she
ceases to swing, and they both lean on
the gate, which becsmes barrier strong
enough to keep them from indscreet
| demonstrations OF affection, and yet not
high or broad enough to be real sepa-
ration between them. What do philoso-
pliers know of these things that they
should attempt 10 discuss THE Front
Gate in its Relation to the Ssxes?"
That the front gate is defective piece
of mechanism is known to thousands of
young people. II hot tempered and
aggressive father suddenly approaches
from the side where the young man is
improving his time, there is little chance
Of avoiding painful scene. Nh. Tenny-
son, in his little fragment entitled "The
Gate" has pictured this danger with
wonderful vividness and pathos:
laap tho
And 20 not yet she mnketh moan.
The fierce iar,bouncing father comes
She swingeth on the gate alone"
A still more serious defect in the mod.
ern gate is in the fact that it is built
without reference to the height
, Of any particular young person.
/ The average gate is perfectly
suited to the height of the aver
sge young man and young woman, for
when she stands on the lower bar her
head is brought 10 the same level as his
head, and conversation can thus be car
ried on without inconvenience. When,
however, a very tall young man has to
lean over a gate he must of necessity as
sumo position that is both ungraceful
and uncomfortable, and the case Of a
tall young woman is even worse. Again.
if both happen to be persons of very
short stature TIE gate becomes an actual
and formidable barrier between them.
They can only clasp hands through the
+ bars or pickets Of the gate, and few read
. ers of Western journals can forget the
fate OF the small young man who had
thrust both hands through gate, and
being temporarily unable TO withdraw
them was in that situation a helpless
prey to large and inluristed father.
A benefcent scientific journal has in
its last issue an acccG... uf . ueyly in
vented gate, which will sdppiy great
public want, since it is Just the sort OF
improvement upon the present style of
,, gate which has been so long needed.
The upper bars of ibis gate can be low
cred by merely touching a lever, thus
reducing the height of the gate to such
an extent that ii can be used by lovers
OF not more than three feet high. The
gate is constructed TO swing both ways,
and it can be opened or shut with a very
slight exertion rf strength and in less
than one second The great utility Of
this latter feature is visible at glance.
Let us suppose small lover, who has
properly reduced the height OF the gate,
is occupied in the usual way when he
perceives father approaching him with
a frown on his face and new boots ready
for action. Instantly the small young
man opens the gate, rushes inside the
front yard, closes the gate again, locks it
with a spring, and hoists the upper bars
to their normal position in precisely
three seconds by the watch. The father,
unable to jump over the high gate, and
unable to open it without the key, is
forced to permit the Young man to escape
through the back yard and the young
girl to retire TO her room and have a
headache. How many terrible scenes Of
blood and mangled garments would have
been avoided had this benefcent varie-
ty Of gate been in general use during the
lsst ten years? The inventor is a noble
man, and young people yet unborn will
hang On his gate and call him blessed.
Improving the Figure.
The proportion of my sex with q