Year: 1864

Tom Jones and his particular friend, Charley
Brown had long been counting two of the most
beautiful damsels in the village of T, and
having brought their love matters to the much
lonped for climax, determined to be married at
the same time and journey together until the
honeymoon should have lost some of its sweets
and business demanded their return. The double
knot was tied and the happy quartette started,
and were whirled along over the rails, until the
shades of night were falling fast, and they had
reached the village of c.. Here they put up
at the best hotel, as a matter of course, and af-
ter very socable dinner visited the theater in
frame of mind well calculated to appreciate the
mimic love of Romeo and Juliet. Returning
late, they took supper, and Tom and Charley
drank the health of their own and each others
wives when the ladies, with much bushing and
simpering, remarked that it was near morning,
and retired to the assigned places of
pose Then the grooms drank their own healths
for time, and bidding each other good night,
sought their respective spouses of day old.


Let me see,' said Tom, "your number is
90 and mine is &c..


sNo, it amt, but just the reverse, old fellow.
See here and he pulled card from his pocket
which the clerk had given him and showed the
number. % Amt that &C p


Look at mine' And Tom revealed his al
so. "You are looking at yours up side down."
"Pshaw Just as if can't read figures You
must think I'm drunk ~
Now any one knows how difficult it is to de-
eide in such a matter, and how easy &C may be
taken for SO, or rice versa. The dispute was
therefore somewhat protracted and the aid of
the clerk had to be solicited before it could be
satisfactorily settled. He, also, was sorely puz-
zled, and perhaps at that late hour somewhat
afflicted with disease, common in the West at
that day if not now, and familiarly known as


q Bourbon on the Brain But decide he must,
and, hit or miss told Tom he was right-that his


l. s, Itr md ryrOht tnfr
pleasant dreams, departed.


Up 90 the worthy grooms. Their rooms were
on the same story-Tom's being at one end and
Charley's at the other of long, dimly lighted
hall. They shook hands at the head of the stairs
and separated. Tom entered his. The light
had been turned down, so that all was semi
darkness. Charley did the same, and found the
state of affairs similar. Both were nice, modest
Young men, and after glance at a form rolled
carefully up in the snowy sheets, SO that but
ROSY face was visible, proceeded to disrobe. Of
were thrown coat, vest, neck-te, boots and pants,
and gently they crept to the bedside, where
similar impulse seems to have entered the brain
of each, and drawing the dear little head from
the downy pillow toward them, they kissed the
downy lips with infinite gusto. pair of soft
arms were wreathed round either neck-their
warm kisses were repaid.


q Dear Tom" and 4" dear Charley" were
murmured soft and sweetly into their ears.
! Dear Tom y said one in astonisment.
"Dear Charley p muttered the other, with
the name of his Satanic majesty at the end of it
and then-for by this time the innocent spouses
had discovered their mistake-there arose
screams that awoke the whole house. There
was grabbing for clothes and sudden exit
from both rooms-an opening of the doors on
either side of the hall to see what the matter
was, and very precipitate flying of two men
in scanty attire through the long passage. Then
came a rest and sleepdom again retired to its
dreams.


If there wasn't some confusion the next morn
ing when they met at breakfast, and looking af
ter the clerk, it would have been surprising
but as the story had become known, the two
couples deemed it best to make hasty exit
But &C and 80 to this very day bring bushes to
the still handsome faces of couple of women
wot of.