, 1856-01-25
A jolly Printer.

: "A Jolly Printer.
A cheerful temper, says the New York
Tribune, is q natural gift, the desirability
r OF which cannot be questioned, but seldom
do we meet with spirit so thoroughly sat
urated with good nature that no disappoint-
ment, no poverty, deprivations or combina-
tion OF adverse circumstances can break it
down or overcome its geniality But yes
terday morning a man made his appearance
before Justice Brenan, who seemed to have
perfect fountain Of undiluted contentment
somewhere in his composition, which no de-
pressing influences Of care or accident had
been able to exhaust or adulterate--a typo,
a modern editor of Mark Tapely-a human
barrel of jollies without hoops on. He was
arrested for being intoxicated. He gave
bis name as Gattgphat Take, and saidEhe
was printer, and hailed from the Gem
of Science" Office. lie is short man, of
beer-cask figure, and face as rubicund as
if he slept in room with red curtains
His answers to the questions Of the autor-
itiet showed his contentment under all
shades of fortune. The justice being also
in genial humor was inclined to banter
the disciple Of Ben Franklin, and accord
ingly addressed him as follows:
Judge.-Well, Mr. Take, it seems YOU
havO thrown aside the composing stick,n
and gone to getting drunk for living
Pm afraid you're "bad case" and stand
in need of correcting" l think shall
send you to "quod"
These technicalities were uttered in
sort Of you-see Lknow-your-trade-as-w
you-do-air, which seemed to give Mr.. Take
that assurance which printers seldom lack,
but of which the solemnities Of Police
court might temporarily have deprived him,
and he answered. s'Hsh sU
Prisoner. We'll, at any rate, Pm glad
we've no 'galleys" in this country, or l
suppose you would put me there, and well
'leaded" at that, But bless you sir, going
to Jail is nothing; the last time was there
| tanned rat and taught him to chew to-
baeco, besides inventing three new steps
for fancy hornpipe-it's a good deal bet
ter than setting solid minon," more than
three quarters figure work" and getting
only price and half" for il Lord bless
you squire, I'd great deal rather go to
Jail ten days than not. I've got sick of.
work just now, I'll have chance to get the
bile of my stomach.
Judge.-You seem to take Il easy; how
do you propose to employ yonr time this
trip? a a'4.s .Bi M
Prisoner-Well, corporal, Pm undeci
ded whether I'll learn to whistle the opera
of the Bohemian Girl, " practice standing
on my head, or undertake to acquire the ef-
egant accomplishment Of balancing straws
on my nose. If i conld get cat, I'd teach
her to play the fiddle, if thought the
strings wouldn't remind her unpleasantly Of
intestinal discords, after her feline body has
been nine times slain. gm
Judge-Mr. Take, you seem particularly
happy nnder the circumstances; have you
got wifeY s.. .s.t .t.., ..-rg,
Prisoner. Not now, Lieutenant; l had
one, but she ran of with q bow-Iegged cob
bier; was so glad about it that | sent her
dresses and quit claim deed of her person,
which signed in capital letters. She left
me one boy, but he was foul copy" not
bit like me. l bound him prentice to
the type-sticking trade, but the first day he
quarrelled with the regular devil" knock
ed over the bank pulled form off the
imposing stone" and pied Eve columns"
He dropped the "shootting-stick" into the
alligator press" and, in the evening, he
and another hopeful boy were caught re-
hearsing broad-sword combat with cou-
pie of column rules" the foreman "batter-
cd" him with the ''mallet," and when he
got home to me he had fancy "head,D if
ever there was one.
Clerk Where is he now?
Prisoner.-He ran away with the circus,
and the last saw Of him he was in the
middle Of a saw-dust ring trying to tie his
legs In bow-knot around bis neck; I've
been jollier since then than l ever was be-
fore. 1'cl nH
Judge you seem to be always jolly.
Prisoner.-So am; laughed when my
father turned me out Of doors at eleven
years old, laughed when ! broke my arm,
and made funny faces at the doctor while
he was setting it; the happiest day ever
spent was one time when hadn't but one
shirt and pair of pants to put on, had
spent all my money, and gone hungry forty
hours. 1 never was really unhappy bnt
once my life, and that was when fell down
stairs, fractured my collar-bone, and skin
ned my leg so badly that couldn't get
down on my knees to thank God L didn't
break my neck
The Judge relented and let Mr.. Take 60,
and that rotund individual left the room
trying to whistle and sing at the same time,
and also;to dance on independent jig with
each leg 10 different tune. v;d1
~. M. - .ooLIoss or Tho ohol;,;o,,