Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-02-12

"Merry Christmas, SIR" said hest
tating voice at his side.
/ Jedd started.
SHERRY Christmas, sir,'' said the voice
dolefully.
j And then Jeddturned hisonthe speak
er. 1t was very shabbily dressed lad
lie had on felt hat Of no color what
ever, roundabout jacket; and pair o.
duck trousers, much too well ventilated
for the season. His physique was deli
cate one; and if it had not been so dark
jedi could have seen a face in which
there was a strange mixture of the Ma
donna and the devil-the expression Of
boyhood and manhood contending, and
sad experience written all over it.
But the snow was falling heavily and
he only saw very little fellow sur
mounted by very shocking hat.
"if youplease, sir, "said the boy, plead
ingly.
'Humph!''
And Jedd was about to bid him &c
his way, when it struckshim that after
what he had seen, not even the love OF
his charming collins could tempt him to
turn on the gas again in his shop, and
toieaveIt burning was piece ofextrava
gance not to be thought of. 1t occurred
to him to hire this promiscuous wisher
OF merry Chrlstmases to sit in his shop
till he should have returned from Spuy.
ten Duyvel's; then he could turn on the
gas and turn ofthe boy at thesame time
SO he changed his drusqtte manner tc
one which was intended to be extremely
coneiliatory, and inquired
"W hat is your name, bub?"
i ''The last one, sir?" asked bub, look
ing up.
"The last one, sir?" repeated jedi
mimicking the lad. 'How many have
your"
GA good many, sir. In Nantucket
they used to call me Orphan Tom, and
Poor Tommy, and Tomtit But on board
ship the sailors called me Nantuck-and
they called Nantuck very often and
made him work very hard" And the
boy shiyered with cold, as the keen north
wind swept around the corner with evi
dent predatory designs upon his tattered
jacket.
"Nantuck?" said his interrogation
turning up his pinched nose with disap-
probation, as if the name filed his nos
trils with a very "ancient and fish-like
smell"
"Well, Tomtit-I like that best you
know-ifyou will keep shop for me an
hour or so, III give you shilling,
81 don't know how much shilling is, y
said Tomtit, "but I'll do it and thank.
fully"
"The key is under the mat Unlock
the door and don't touch anything.
Don't jar those lovely coflins." jedi
never once looked toward the shop. al
you see grave in the middle of the
floor you must not be frightened, you
know I'm not"
And jedi shuddered.
81 don't see any grave" said Tomtit,
throwing open the door. )
The undertaken summoned all his
courage and glanced into the room; but
the mound, with its daisies, and the
weeping willow, had vanished.
''Dey'lish strange he muttered. It
was there" Then facing his clerk pro
tem,-"You won't steal anything, be-
cause there is nothing to steal you
| know"
The boy looked around YEARLY, and
seemed think that the temptation was mt
very strong.
''But he might take a lid, though"
thought Jcdd.
However there was no alternative but
- l.,
God wills 1.-THE most suspicious are
obliged to place confidence in a fellow
mortal. Not you and /, gentle reader;
we would do it willingly, for it is good
to believe in humanity. Among other
things the old man OF three score years
had not learned this.
Tomtit glanced over the apartment.
There was only the ghost of q fire in
a small stove. All sorts of grotesque
shadows peopled the room, and the dim
blue light that fell like an imitation Of
moonlight on the long, narrow houses of
the dead made them look frightful A
coffin is an ugly looking thing any way
YOU can fix it, and twenty collins are of
course twenty times uglier.
"Queer place." soliloquized Tomtit.
81 rather like it though" And the
boy smiled sickly smile. Gle thought
I'd be afraid. A man who has been on
whaling voyager"-here the little thir-
teen-year-old drew himself up TO his full
height ''isn't likely to be scared by two
-four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen six
teen, twenty empty boxes. guess not"
The child must have been exceeding
" weary for he had no sooner located
himsef upon one of the black stools, than
he sank into a profound slumber. His
body swayed to and fro in very unde-
cided manner. At last it gave an extra
curve and Tomtit fell. He broke Meth
er his slumbcr nor his neck. Heroes
never break their necks, believe. The
critics, however, sometimes do it for
them. | know an instance.
Tomtit lay at the foot Of his perpen-
, dicular bed-and there wewillleave him
sleeping with one thin, brown hand
grasping the leg of the stool, and one
foot in cofiin-the first time, | think,
that such fact has been recorded OF
ANYBODY, though we have heard Of peo-
pie having zone foot in the grave"
But while whisper in your ear, let
him sleep.
ITI.-THE SKELETON.
There is a curious skeleton in jedi
Pailfry's heart, and every Christmas eve,
| it turns and twists ard makes the old
man.feel queer and see strange sights.