Year: 1875

"Bluf City Avalanche.


A good story is told OF a young man OF


Memphis, postal clerk, who is, to use a
vulgarism, somewhat on the "blulf.
That is, he is in the habit, in order to
show his utter disregard of consequences,
/ Of making all sorts Of prepOsterOus prop
| OSitiOns, or banters, which he knows viii
not be accepted, and had thus established
a reputation for recklessneSs without any
| great outlay Of either nerve or muscle.
| He recently attended a bankrupt sale Of
| ladies' wear, and invested few nickels in
| a travelling suit, intending, Jas he said, to
| present it to a young lady relative.
/ He carried it to his boarding house,
where he hung it on the hat rack, and
remarked to his landlady that he would
marry the lady who would wear that suit.
A rOguish young lady bOarder, hearing the
remark, took the dress as soon as his back
was turned, and, going to her room, ap-
peared in a few minutes wearing the gar
ment, and informed the young man that
she was ready to lie married, and directed
him 10 send for the parsOn. The young
man was not t. be "blufed" by a young
lady, and at the solicitation Of two gentle
men present, be handed them s. with
which to procure the license, and requested
them also 70 bring the parsOn. The two
men, alive 10 the absurdity of the proceed
ings, procured a blank license, and taking
a third gentleman into the joke, got him to
play the role Of preacher, which he did to
perfection, both in actions and looks.


UpOn the return of the men to the house,
the young lady retreated to her room, and
locked herself in, declaring that the farce
had been carried on long enough. The
young man laughed hearLily, and put on
the air of a man who could stand being
crammed into a cannon and shot against a
stone wall without the least inconvenience.
But the tables were soon turned. The
landlady was let into the secret Of the
blank license and bogus parsOn. She COM
municated with the young lady, and very
soon the latter appeared, looking her sweet
est, anu taking the young man by the arm
said she was willing to be his wife. The
young man tried to laugh, bus it faded into
CHASTITY smile. He turned pale, and find
ing himself beat at his own game Of ''blufi,"
made a hasty retreat 70 his room,
closely pursued by his two gentle
men friends. Reaching his room,
and not thinking himself safe, be jumped
ont of the window into the back yard, and
was captured as he was in the act ofthrow-
ing himself over high board fence into an
alley. He was brought back, trembling in
every limb, his teeth chattering, while he
begged piteOusly TO be released from his
obligation. Finding the men Obdurate,
and the young lady apparently determined
not to lose so good an OppOrt unity to pro-
cure husband, he turned supDlicating to
his landlady and said: "Indeed, Mrs. C.,
can't marry. 1 haven't got but five dollars
and forty cents in the world. o, Lord.
what will my mother say 10 this?" His
captOrs being full Of laughter lad to let go
their hold upOn him and hold their sides,
and he made a successful break for liberty.
He soon learned Of the joke played upon
him, and when a few days afterward
friend asked him how his wife was, be was
told very briefly to 60 tO-"Where the
worm dyeth not and the fire is not
uuenched."