Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-10-26
One Of the Mean Men.


ness, and several persons have been held up
as examples, possessing that quality in a
superlative degree. One of the most ''emi-
nent'' men of this class that we ever knew,
was boss carpenter" He had, of course,
a youngest apprentice, on whom his meanness
was contracted, Ike the rays of the sun con-
yerged by burning glass.
The boy, whom We viii call Joe, and who
was very cunning and shrewd withal, was
Obliged 10 submit TO much rjgor as regarded
the severity of his labors and scantiness of his
clothing and food One evening Joe was
supping ON the fragments of repast that had
been set before some guests-the good wife
had company" that afternoon-and he COM
mitted the enormity of applying a lump of
butter that was left on his plate to chunk of
gingerbread which he was about to swallow
Alas for poor Joe. his master opened the
kitchen door just as he was opening his
mouth, and before he could swallow the deli
ci0us morsel his crime was detected
The indignant master was struck aghast at
first by this species of juvenile turpitude, but
he seized the young epicure by the hair of his
head and gave him an unmerciful beating.
Joe went to bed sorrowing, but comforted
himself with the reflection that he was four
teen years DID, and had but seven more years
to be fogged for eating of buttered ginger
bread
Joe was ingenious, and before he had COM
posed himself to sleep that night, he formed
a plan of revenge upon his master.
According to that plan he arose early next
morning, and as he was hurrying on his
clothes he muttsred =
''I'll fix story on to the old feller: I'll
raise a laugh agin him; I'll learn him how to
lick me like blazes F."
As soon as Joe was dressed, he rushed into
the streets, and ran towards the principal
hotel, bawling Justify, and Stimulating the
most clamorous grief. As he tore along the
streets, believing like a yearling bull. and
rubbing his eyes with dingy pocket-hand-
kerchief. he naturally attracted the attention
of every person within sight or hearing By
the time he had reached the front of the hotel
quite crowd was ready to intercept him, as
he made n feint to rush by
whats the matter ?" cried dozen of
voices
''Oh dear! Oh dear! it's so dreadful y
beloved Joe, twisting his countenance into
the similitude of baked apple.
Whats so dreadful p
''Oh, my masters dead died sich an aw-
full death too dear -
Your masters dead-awful death! How
did it happen? Stop your confounded below
ing, and tell us about it.
go, dear ~ said Joe, his voice broken with
sobs, you know what a small soul my mas
ter had, what an old feller (sob) he was for
money (sob). Wall, it apperrs that somebody
(sob) had suthen agin him, (sob) and went
last nigll-Oh. dear! oh dear. it's so orful ~
Look here, young man stop that crying
and tell the stoiy."
oval, my master, he used to sleep with
his mouth wide open, a snoring, (sob) and
somebody went last night and baited the steel
trap Wltn iourpehc'' anu SCI iI oii his PilieI
and fetched has soW ofore naornin, and left
his body in the bed Boo-hoo-hoo o, dear. y
And with this Joe made break throug the
astonished crowd and disappeared around a
corner, while the welkin was ringing with
shouts of laughter.
Joe's master did not hear the last of his
awful decease for a long time, and those who
knew him best declare that Joe's story was
no myth, and that the longer his body walks
about, clutching greedily everything that the
law allows him, the stronger evidence he
gives that he is troubled with no such incum-
brance as a soul