MR CURD ASTONISHES HIS FRIENDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1241, 11 September 1875, Page 16

MR CURD ASTONISHES HIS FRIENDS.

Starling Curd is a thrifty negro living near Bri3tow, Ky. He and wite wanted to give a tine supper to a few select friends, and bent their talents to doing a nice thing. Curd's wife suggested to Curd that it would be correct to have a large, tall candle for the centre of the table to illuminate the viands and the happy facea round the festive board. Curd thought ao too, and went to town to make the purchase. He stated to the store keeper that he was going to have a frolic and wanted a big candle for an illumination. The store keeper put up for him the biggest one he had, and Curd carried it home. Mrs Curd, upon inspecting the article, said it was not the right thing. She wanted a candle. Curd aaid it waa right, the very latent style of illuminating candles, and Mrs Curd gave it up. The candle was fixed in the centre of the table, and when the guests were seated and the evening meal had fairly commenced, Curd slyly applied a match to his boss candle to astonish his guests with an illumination. It was a grand success, and immediately commenced spluttering and spouting and vomitting balls of fire. The company stayed not upon the order of going, but went at once. Curd tried to blow it out, and then to stop the volcanic eruption with his hand, and got damaged. A hissing, blazing ball flew on his best bed and set it on fire. At length the combustion simmered down and the illumination was at an end, aud the bed was put out. The feast was over, for the black looks of Curd's guests as they returned to get their hats and things plainly showed they thought it had been done on purpose. They went sullenly away, and refused to be comforted. Curd's wife, sulking among the ashes of her once happy home, said :' " I told you so." Her new counterpane was ruined, and her best bed a wreck. The next day Curd went to town with his mind full of questions for that storekeeper, and he had visions of a suit for damages. The storekeeper explained that he gathered from Curd's manner of asking for the article that he wanted that kind "of an illumination which is produced by a Roman oandle, and accordingly sold him one. Curd was thoroughly illuminated and enlightened. He knows better now, and the next time he makes a feast he will try to get along with plain tallow dips, but it is not likely he will ever be able to recover his friends. — St Louis R> publican.