The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-11-27
NIGHT IN GREENLAND.

In the countries Of the extreme north |
the nights are six months long. What
place that must be to spend an even
ing with young a lady! Just think of
it! Think of it, ye poor young SWANS
who are obliged to make your call no
longer than the miserable space of four
or five poor hours. Think of the pic
mic an Esquimau dude has when he
starts out for call on his inamorata
He arrives at her house just after dark,
and the two sit in the front parlor for a
few weeks, not realizing that it is long
past the hours of cleaning and that
the room is as dark as the tricks of a
politician. Then her mother comes in
and lights the gas, saying: 'Ithink you
children would have better sense than
to sit here in the dark. You had better
have a little light on the subject"
Then the old lady skips out to give
Ne young people a chance, for she
doesn't believe in young girls losing
time, and in Greenland there is only
one night year. After her departure
the young couple sit on the sofa and
look at the photograph album for
week or two. This is no novelty to
them, as they know every photograph
in the book, from hers, taken when she
was in short skirts, to his, taken only
yesterday morning, representing him
leaning over the back of a chair, twirl
ing his alleged mustache and smiling sc
persuasivOly that he looks as if he were
trying to get trusted for half Dozen
shirts, They sit closer and closer as
they begin to get more deeply interest
ed in the photographs. She snuggles
up to him and points with her sealskin-
gloved finger to the portrait of her
Cross-eyed aunt, who was bitten by
Spitz dog the night before. He is deep.
~ moved, although he has seen the pic
ture before, and, as he draws nigh to
take closer look, he presses his arms
lightly around her waist, whose symme-
try is concealed by her bearsk n Mother
Hubbard. After his manly arm has
been there few days, she notices it,
calls him 'horrid thing" and flounces
across the room to the piano. She plays
for fortnight, and then he, wearying
of looking at the pictures in "Bunyan's
Pilgrims Progress on the center table,
tip-toes across the floor and embraces
her Just as she strikes a diminished
seventh on the piano. She turns around
on the piano-stool with an alluring little
giggle, and their lips mcetin one brief
but blissful kiss, about four days i'll du-
ration.
This is all very. pleasant, of course,
and they sit holding each others hands
and looking volumes of Byronic poetry
into each others eyes for few more
weeks, when an interruption takes
place. The parlor door squeaks, and in
the twinkling of hook-and-eye the
young man occupies the sofa at one end
of the room and is reading the evening
paper, while the young woman is look
ING over the music. 1t is an embarrass-
inc two hours for both of them. when
the father enters and looks suspiciously
from one to the other The old gentle.
man comes ostensbly to bring the
young people some candies to eat by
way of q little supper, to be washed
down by bowlful of snow. In reality,
however he is there to see how they are
behaving themselves. Anon he leaves
them, first winding the clock in rather
suggestive manner, and then setting the
alarm four months ahead. in order that
he may surely get up in time for break
fast.
What a relief when he is gone! The
two kindred souls again proceed to in
tercommunion, and no sounds are heard
but the barking of the pet seal out in
the wOod-shed and the suggestive tick
inc of the wel-trained clock as the
weeks fly swiftly by. 1t seems to the
twain that the night is yet young, when
in about two months and halt her bic
brother comes home from the theateT
where 4 melodrama in one hundred anC
forty-seven acts has been rendered b,
the regular Stock-cOmpany. Her brothe'
is late, because, being somewhat smit
ten on the leading lady of the company
he took her out for little supper last
inc the greater part of week. He M
sooner vaniSheS than a sound as of two
heavy boots falling on the floor above
warns young Lothario that he mus
soon depart. The old gentleman's boot
falling on the floor mean that adieuy
must be cut short, and that there mus
be no hanging over the front gate fo
thirty-six or forty-eight hours. Tn,
young lovers grapple each other in {
convulsive embrace. 1t seems hare
that they should have to part, and tina
he must 60 so soon, but it must be
Fate is against them. Time waits 70
no man, and the Spit dog is united
They cling about each others necks 70
three weeks, breathing VOWS of fealty
and then kissing her again (time TWEEN
rty-four hours he hurries to the gat
just as a gruf voice is heard from tn
top of the stairs. saying:
"ClariSsa, is that young man neye
going"
Clarissa answers: ado 90 way fror
the hall, pa. Somebody might Sc
you"
Then she locks the door, goes 10 he
boudoir and dreams about him-to he
the only him in all this wide wld