Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-03-29
EVENING STAR.
JERRY PRArTsPRoaRRss IN THE Hosr
HOUSE 6cH00L-THE TIssT DIIHT
AND The FIRST FI0HT
Fram the PhiladeIphia North American

JkRRY PRArTSPRC9REss IN rHR Hosy
| HOUSE 6CH00L-THE FIasT DRYNT
AND The FIRST FIGHT.
| lfr'm the Philadelphia North American
We must now behold Jerry Pratt. our
country boy, the regularly indentured
apprentice of J. Cabbage Grimm. tailor
and the daily and nightly companions Of
Skite and Bladen, or, as the :. BloodsT
had them, Slather and Stitch. Like all
new apprentices, transferred from an ac.
tive Life to . sedentary occupation. be
grew very restless, and was aiways ex.
tremely glad when the clock struck s;x.
He observed that Slather and Stitch were
very punctual in quitting at the hour
named. If they had stuck the needle in
the seam when the first stroke of the
clock was given, they would not pull it
through afterwards for the world. This
excessive punctuality Jerry learned to
initiate. Somehow-the exact process
Jerry could not have explained-Sather
and Stitch had contrived to win upon
our country friends esteem, and their
deeds of daring rowdyism, and coarse.
rollicking fun. became his especial admi-
ration. He laughed till his sides ached
at their broad jokes, some of which were
painfully practical, such as ornamenting
Crimp's coat-tail with bent pins in tick.
lish positions, ironing little Master
Crimp's pantaloons On his legs with a
heated goose, and placing tape across
the back door for folks to stumble over
Against Mrs. Crimp, Skite and Bladen
cherished most unrelenting enmity, on
account Of the stinting of their fars, as
they thought, and they kept up the war
fare with an extensive invention of little
annoyances, which Jerry learned to con.
slider wonderfully funny.
Jerry had now become a nightly yisi.
tor to the Spanner Hose House, and was
rapidly learning how to be full blooded
" Bloody" After the first weeks e1ps-
rience he could smoke; after the second,
take quid of :" the weed with the most
accomplished of the chewing art. By
dint of profting by the advice of Slather
and Stitch, he had effected such altera-
tions in his costume as brought it nearer
to that of his companions, and he now
rejoiced in f1aring red neckerchief The
little Bible his mother had placed in his
bundle was retained, but never opened,
for Skite and Bladen had laughed our
impreSsible friend out of the practice of
reading the book.
One night there was a general "blow.
out" at the hose house, on the occasion
of one of the Bloodies" reaching the
age of 81 years. and thus becoming his
own master. The blowout consisted ir
drinking great deal of punch and eat
ing few oysters. Skite, Bladen, and
Jerry had been invited to be present
They went, of course, for all 1.-THE boys"
were to be there. Jerry had never seen
the like before. The hose house was
rudely decorated with some eyergreens,
and few flowers were placed upon the
" carriage" Bully had his fiddle, and
when our party arrived, was already
rafting off a reel, which four men, half
drunk, were doing in the strongest style,
threatening very serious detriment to the
floor.
A table was set in the rear of the hose
house, on which the eatables, oysters
cooked in various styles, were inyitingly
arranged. As soon as our friends enter.
ed they received cordially drunken
welcome from the giver of the blow
out" ," Bloody" rejoicing in the nom
de plume of Buck" and the longest
soap-lock in the crowd-and an immedi-
ate invitation to take drink. "a drink
of what" thought Jerry, but he could
not muster courage enough to keep be-
hind on such an occasion. Buck placed
tumbler about half full of brandy be-
fore the new Bloody" and the same
quantity before his fellow apprentices.
a health to the new man being proposed
Skite and Bladen drained their glasses
at one swig. Jerry took mouthful and
smacked his lips-trying to consider it
good. But be had to confess that the
taste was extremely disagreeable, and it
gave him such burning in the throat
that caused him to think the liquor had
been scalded. However, q nudge from
Skite, and "What are you about 2"
from Buck, accompanied by o meaning
look from Bladen, that said, " You'must
drink, " caused Jerry to raise his glass
and drain it to the bottom.
Lie uTsI glass HOW ike stream Cf
fire it coursed through the veins of the
doomed youth How like . spirit of
madness it seemed to kindle his brain
The first glass! Oh! that the scenes of
after years could be vividly pictured in
the bottom of that glass How many q
soul, naturally good and gifted, would
thenceforth avoid the path that leads in
evitably to ruin and desolation But
Jerry saw nothing but the sparkling
liquor, and, now that it was down, be-
gan to feel an ecstacy he had never be-
fore known-a fatal joy. The ringing
music Of Bully's fiddle set his feet to
tripping, and soon he was one in q
" straight four Then they stopped,
and the whole party took drink. Jerry
felt still more, ecstatic. He talked to
everybody, about all sorts of things, and
in all sorts of styles, except sober one /;
he cordially agreed with every body, and
this cordial agreement got him into q
difficulty. Bully and Bladen got to talk
ing about the last fight with the 10 Buil-