The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1912-12-18
MRS. TOPHAM'S
INVENTION
A New Years
Resolution
By MILDRED JERNEGAN

hO ACphtihAS Sc" POOACA GfCAy
year. On the LIST day of January
Samuel Topham registered a solemn
vow that on the very next day be
would set forth In quest of work for
the ensuing year-work that would
bring him in steady income with
which TO support his growing family.
On the I'd day OF January Mr.. Top
ham usually had q brilliant idea-a
brain splitting conception Of a patent
dishwashing machine or baby tender
that might take the place of a paid
nursemaid. or an automatic f1apjack
griddle which not only would grease
itself. but would also tip a suspended
pitcher of batter so that one might
have a continuous succession of well
Drowned flapjacks as fast as one could
remove them from the self greasing
nonburning self adjusting griddle.
Anything in the way of work saver
or labor eliminator appealed to the In
ventive faculty of Samuel Topham.
As these ideas attacked Samuel oB
the second day of the new year. OF
course he then abandoned the idea of
seeking manual labor and devoted
himself exclusively to the perfecting of
this latest patent. Under these cir
cumstances 1t became necessary for
Mrs. Topham to find some means of
supplying her husband and seven lit
tie daughters with food and clothing
This she did by home baking. She did
it cheerfully and without complaint.
for the Tophams. great and small. had
infinite faith in pas" inventions and
contentedly scrimped and saved so that
one day all OF them might live sumptu-
ously on the proceeds of his success
when it should really come to pass.
On this particular New Years morn
ing Samuel had registered his custom
airy VOW with more than his accustom
ed vigor
There's no use talking. Sarah be
said, sinking heavily into a kitchen
chair and looking appealingly at his
plump little wife from his prominent
light blue eyes. i haven't got the
heart to see you go through another
year like the last. Tomorrow morning
l shall set out and find a job, some
thing that will at least bring us in
bread and cheese"
You've said that before. SAM" re
turned Sarah placidly. You haven't
got to worry about that I'm making
enough from my baking to pay the gro
Ger and butcher, and we can wear our
old clothes for little while longer /
am sure the automatic griddle will be
money maker. Why. whenever feel
extra tired just think how easy we
will have 1t when that automatic grid
die is on the market and you
Samuel lifted a fat hand and shook
his head sadly. I'm afraid that the
automatic griddle is not success be
announced in hollow voice.
''Not-a-succeSs? % Sarah Topham's
voice showed more genuine disInay
than it had done in the case Of the
failure of the dishwasher and the baby
tender, which had been the last two
inventions OF her husbands restless
brain. Now she removed her hands
from a bowl OF -four and surveyed
Samuel's gloomy countenance with a
severe look on her usually good ma
tured face. You have heard some
/ thing new" she asked
Yes. | had letter-a most pecul-
iarly w0rded letter-from Mr.. Bow
man." admitted Samuel. taking an en-
I yelope from his pocket and surveying
the superscriptiOn resentfully.
We'll. what did he say, Samuel
! You know you asked him for a candid
! opinion OF its merits Hes your sec
4 ond cousin and ought not to be afraid
! TO speak right out"
He spoke right out" muttered Sam
/ uel bitterly
What did he say?''
i He said returned Samuel reluc-
family, that no one except an unmiti
/ gated idiot and a constitutionally lazy
/ and shiftless loafer would ever have
/ spent a year of Gods good time in
! perfecting such a fools idea as my
automatic griddle. believe you might
1 call that a candid opinion"
''Why-the-idea" gasped Sarah Top
/ ham angrily.
Il shall seek a job tomorrow" went
I on Samuel weakly.
/ He was surprised at his wife's
+ prompt reply. It's good idea. Sam
I uel, she said energeticaIly. I'm
afraid that we haven't capital enough
to wait until the griddIe is a success"
( "Of course, Sarah. when you lose
faith in me l must go to the wall.
said Samuel T0pham with dignity. and
SO, folding the frankly written letter
/ Of his second cousin, the inventor left
the Kitchen ana stro.led into the par
Tor Of the cottage. where his morris