Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-04
An arm That is Ko1 Rel liable.


A young fellow about nineteen, who
is going With his girl, and who live,
on the West Side, has got the symp
toms awfully. He Just thinks o.
nsthing else but his girl, and when
be can be with her, which is seldom,
on account Of the old folks, he e
there, and when he cannot be there,
he is there or thereabouts in his
mind. He had been trying for three
months to think Of something to give
his girl for a Christmas present, but
he couldn't make up his mind what
article would cause her to Shink of
him the most, so the day before
Christmas be unbosomed himself to
his employer, and asked his advice as
to the proper article to give. Tho old
man is bald headed and mean. "You
want to give her something that will
be constant reminder Of your" Yes,
he said, that was what was the matter
Does she have any corns:." asked
the old wretch. The boy said he had
never inquired into the condition Of
her feet, and wanted to know what
corns had to do with it. The old man
said that if she had corns a pair of
shoes about two sizes too small would
cause her mind to dwell on him a good
deal. The boy said shoes wouldn't
do. The old man hesitated moment.
scratched his head, and finally said
u have it | suppose, sir, when you
are alone with her in the parlor, that
you put your arm around her waist.
do you not, sir2" The young man
blushed, aud said that was about the
size Of it. u presume she enjoys
that part of the discourse, ehf"
The boy said that as near as
he could tell, by the way she
acted, she was not aVerse to being
held up, "Then, sir, can tell
you Of an article that will make her
think ofyou in that position all the
time, from the momentshe gets up in
the morning till she retires." us
there any attachment to it that will
make her dream Of me all night?"
asked the boy. No, sir Don't be a
hog, said the bad man, "Then what
is III" The old man said one word,
NCorset" The young man was de.
lighted and he went to store to buy
nice corset. What size do YOU
want2" asked the girl who waited on
him. That was a puzzler. He didn't
know they came in sizes. He was
about to tell her to pick out the
smallest size, when be happened to
think of something. Take a tape
measure aud measure my arm. That
will Just at The girl looked wise,
as though she had been there herself,
ana found that it was a twenty-five
inoh corset he wanted, and he went
home and wrote note and sent it with
the corset tc his girl >He didn t hear
anything as5pt it till the following
Sunday, when he called on her. She
received him coldly, and handed him
the corset, saying, with tear in her
eye, that she had never expected to
be insulted by him. He told her he
bad no intention Of insulting her,
that he could think Of nothing that
would cause her to think of the GEN.
tie pressure of his arm around her
waist as we'll as corset, but ii She
felt insgltea he would take his leave,
give the corset TO some poor family
aud go drown himself. lie was about
to go away, when she burst out cry.
iLg, and snbbed on his shoulder the
following words, wet with salt brine:
flt was v,yery thoughtful of y.you,
but | couldn't ff.feel it. Itis flour
sizes too b bigl Why didn't YOU
get number eighteen2 You are silent,
you cannot answer, enough . They
iustinotively found their way to the
sofe, mutual explanations followed,
he measured her waist again, saw
where ho had made mistake by bis
fingers tapping over on the first turn,
and he avowed by the beard of the
prophet, he would change it for
another, if she had not worn it and
got it soiled. They are better now.