Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1913-01-02
MRS. TOPHAM'S
INVENTION
A New Years
Resolution
ByTILDRED JERNEGAN

year. On the list day of January
Samuel Topham registered a solemn
vow that on the very next day he
would set forth In quest Of work for
the ensuing year-work that would
bring him in a steady income with
which to support his growing family.
On the I'd day of January Mr.. Top
ham usually had a brilliant idea-a
brain splitting conception of patent
dishwashing machine or a baby tender
that might take the place Of paid
nursemald, or an automatic fapjaek
griddle which not only would grease
itself, but would also tip 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 on
the second day of the new year, of
course he then abandoned the idea of
seeking manual labor and devoted
himself exclusively to the perfecing of
this latest patent. Under these cir
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
10 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 yigor
There's no use talking. Sarah" he
said. sinking heavily into kitchen
chair and looking appealingly at his
plump little wife from his prominent
light blue eyes. II 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 MS 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 ain h.. Fg,.
am sure the automatic griddle will be
a money maker. Why, whenever | feel
extra tired just think how easy we
will have ii when that automatic grid
die is on the market and you
Samuel lifted fat hand and shook
his head sadly. Pm afraid thar the
automatic griddle is not "a success" he
announced in a hollow voice.
'Not-a-successT Sarah Topham's
voice showed more genuine dismay
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 countenauce with a
severe look on her usually good ma
tured face. You have heard some
thing newg she asked
Yes. | had a letter-a most pecul-
iarly worded letter-from Mr. Bow
man." admitted Samuel, taking an en-
velope from his pocket and surveying
the superscription resentfully.
well, what did he say, Samuel?
You know you asked him for a candid
opinion of its merits, He's your Sec
ond cousin and ought not to be afraid
to speak right out"
"He spoke right out" muttered Sam
uel bitterly.
"What did he sayY
'He said" returned Samuel reluc-
family, that no one except an unmiti-
gated idiot and .constltutionally 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
call that candid opinion"
why the -ideag gasped Sarah Top
ham angrily.
Il shall seek a job tomorrow" went
on Samuel weakly
He was surprised at his wife's
prompt reply Its a good idea. Sam
uel," she said energeticaly. I'm
afraid that we haven't capital enough
TO wait until the gridde is a success.
"Of course. Sarah, when you lose
faith in me | must go to the wall.
said Samue Topham with dignity, and
so, folding the frankly written letter
of bis second cousl.-, the inventor left
the Kitchen aud stroliad into the par.
Tor of the cottage whare his morris
chair was drawn before Q glowing 1T
tie air tight stove
From the window be could see his
seven dimlnuuve daughters coasting
down the hill that sloped from their
cottage TO the highroad He sighed
deeply If his wonderful schemes haa
only carried Que successfully these sew
en- daughters would each be an heirpss
wearing rich fur coats and erminp
hoods instead Of bright little red caps
and cloaks fashioned by Sarnh's busy
hands
"Ha hum" sighed samuel dlHne his
pipe and reaching for the morning
10 was necessary Tor San