THE MILLEDGEVILLE HORROR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5589, 23 January 1879, Page 7

THE MILLEDGEVILLE HORROR.

(From the New York Timet.) The real cause of tho Milledgeville calamity was the indiscreet and unpardonable conduct of old Mr Watkins. He was in many respects an amiable and upright man, but ho was wholly devoid of delicate consideration of others. He knew that his daughter was engaged to Mr Garnet, and he approved of the engagement, but, nevertheless, ho would sit in the drawing-room night after night, reading his newspaper, or, what was even worse, forcing bis conversation upon the unhappy young people. The result was that instead of passing their evenings in a reasonable and nappy way, tho miserable lovers were compelled to sit in the opposite corners of a long sofa, and to wonder at the tyranny of the law which forbids the slaughter of inconsiderate parents. As for trying to sit the old gentleman out, that was simply hopeless. MrGarnet didtryit on one occasion, but at half-past 1 a.m. Miss Watkins was sound asleep, with her mouth prosaically open, and Mr Watkins was reading aloud the proceedings of the last pork packer’s convention, and was evidently prepared to keep on reading until breakfast time. He was probably the most hopeless and exasperating father that ever lived, and there was every reason to suppose that he would continue to live for many miserable years. Immediately in the rear of Mr Watkins’ house, and resting against it, was a large shed. The roof of this shed had leaked for a long time, until Mr Watkins, losing all faith in shingles and tin, determined to cover it with cement. In addition to his outrageous habit of sitting up late at night, he was an atrociously ingenious man, who was continually devising and carrying out internal improvements in his house, most of which were painful and dangerous fahures. For the roof of his shed he invented a new kind of cement composed of tar, indiarubber, and shoemaker’s wax, which he spread over the roof to the depth of six inches. It soon hardened on its surface, and being undeniably waterproof, it was regarded by all who saw it as a great success. One evening young Mr Garnet called at the house as usual, but to his extreme delight found that the obtuse parent was not in the parlour, he having been compelled to cross over to a neighbour’s house on business. The young man’s raptures, however, were soon checked on learning that Mr Watkins would certainly return within 15 minutes, and that there was imminent danger that he would read aloud the whole of the last number of the Missionary Herald, including all the letters on the last four pages of that exh:,arating publication, which set forth that the writers were willing to live without food or clothing, but that they could not live without the Herald, In these circumstances, Mr Garnet resolved on a bold stroke. He told Miss Watkins that a transit of Mercury was to occur that evening, which she must not fail to see. “We will just go out on the roof of the shed,” he remarked, “ and watch it. I will leave a note on the table for yoi”- good father, telling him that we are star-gazing, and he will know that it is a l l right.” The young lady agreed to the proposal j the note, in which all mention of the shed was carefully avoided, was written, and the exulting lover helped his beloved through the back window out on the roof of the shed, feeliog that for once the old gentleman was foiled. For hours they sat waiting for the transit— Mr Garnet doing his very best to prevent his companion from slipping and rolling 50ft. over a flat roof, with a view to facing over its edge. In fact, he never once released his hold of her, so anxious and thoughtful was he for her safety. Old Watkins returned in due time ; read the note, remarked “ sho,” in a disappointed tone, and after waiting an hour for the supposed wanderers to return, fell asleep in his chair. Tho night was a beautiful one, and the lovers took small note of time. It was not until tho South Presbyterian Church clock struck 12 that Miss Watkins nerved herself to say that she really must go back to the parlour, and that perhaps they had made a mistake about the transit, and would have to watch for it the next night. Mr Garnet conceded the propriety of her remarks, and they both said they would instantly get up. It was easy to make this resolution, but impossible to put it into execution. The new cement, which was dry only on the surface, held the young people in an inexorable grasp. In vain they strove to wrench themselves free. Certain ominous sounds convinced them that they could free themselves only at tho sacrifice of tho integrity of their garments. It was, indeed, an awful sinuation, and Mr Garnet, to this hour, wonders that his hair did not turn grey with agony. Miss Watkins was a young woman of unusual force of character. In this crisis of her fate she neither wept nor told her lover he was a base, unmannerly wretch. On the contrary, she devised a plan of escape, which was at once ingenious and practical. Producing her handkerchief, sho proceeded to bandage Mr Garnet’s eyes, at the same time pledging him not to remove the handkerchief until she should give him permission. This done sho hastily cut loose her running rigging, cut away her lanyards, and preventer back-stays, and then deftly slid out of her upper canvas, leaving the latter a prey to tho cement. The father slept soundly as sho stole through tho parlour to her room, and repaired her damages. Next, with a noble devotion to her fellow-sufferer, sho borrowed a pair of tho paternal trouser's, which sho carried to Mr Garnet, and, informing him that ho might now remove tho bandage, bade him good night, and vanished. Full of admiration of female ingenuity and fidelity, Mr Garnet, after a cautious glance around the neighbourhood, withdrew from his imdrisoned trousers, and after reaching the solid footing of tho window-sill, partioilyburied himself in tho trousers of old Mr Watkins. Had tho latter not unfortunately waked up at tho wrong moment all would have been well. As it was, he sprung out of his choir, seized Mr Garnet under the belief that ho was a burglar, and did not discover his mistake until ho had aroused the neighbours, and thus published tho story of tiio young man’s misfortune, and his daughter’s ingenious devotion. ... , r As was said in the beginning, it was all Mr Watkins’ fault. Had ho gone to bed like a Christian at half-past eight o clock, nothing of the kind would have occurred. He is one of those men of whom an example ought to bo made, and there must be young men enough m Milledgeville to convince him, by concerted action, of the error of his ways.