SHE COULDN'T DO IT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 36, 30 December 1879, Page 3

SHE COULDN'T DO IT.

' The lady mentioned as having entered into an agi cement with her husband to hold her tongue ten minutes in each quarter- hour for 1113 consectitive quarier-hours, failed in her task. At three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, as she was completing her 917 th quarter-hour, and her backers feeling sure she would win, a neighbor lady returning fr«<m a shopping expedition, passed along she street in front of iho window, wearing her new purchase, a beautiful shawl. Now, the lady who was holding her tongue should have tightened her grip at tins suprpmo moment, and concentrated her thoughts on something else than this new article of dress belonging to her neighbor ; but it is said that the ruling passion is strong even in death, and that ingrained habit ia unconquerable. And those auxioms were proven in this instance, for the tongue holder, very unfortunately for herself, leaned over and whispered in the ear of a lady bystander ; " What a horrid shawl !" She immediately saw her mistake, but ii. was too late. The judges at once decided in favour of the husband, the crowd filed slowly out of the building, and the first match on record of tongue-holding against time was over. One lady, at least, in Wilmington will attend church this summer ia last year's bonnet. The husband is investing the lOdol. he saved in strong plug tobacco. He says he never before enjoyed such peace and quietude as during the past nine days. And now the other married men of Wilmington are hoping that the tongue-holding fever may become an epidemic, and strike with emphasis.