The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1865-11-04


marriageable ones.
But Jack was determined and when
returned to the city, few days after.
ward, left him busiiy arranging a chest
carpeuter 5 tools, and getting himself up
in a paper cap and pain OF blue over.
' alls.
He had a wonderful talent, had
Jack, for doing, everything tolerably
we'll. lie played upon half dozen
= # cent musical instruments, could sur
vey, sketched prettlly in pencil Or va er
coiors, understood short hand. had dab.
bIed in surgery and medicine, was a 6n
ished jockey, fair gardener. had built
a stone bridge, written an epic, aud half.
| soled pair OF boots
With these somewhat varied accom-.
plishments, he had no fear, of course,
but what he should be able to ret on
very well as a carpenter Nobody knew
him in st. Blossom; and when he intro.
duced himself to the boss carpeot of
the village, he succeeded in convincing
him that he Jack, was jourueyman of
unusual talent.
lie received several commissions, du
ring the first fortnight of his expert.
ment but on the whole, it was lucky
that he was not compelled to subsist on
the proceeds of his labors. as he might
have found some little difficulty in pay
ing his BOARD and minor expeuses-es.
peciallv as he commissioned me to send
him some five dollars worth of cigars
every week.
One fne day, after he had nearly ex.
haus:ed his patience, aud had done no
end Of plotting and planning in vain, the
village carpenter asked him to under
take the restoration of cornice on one
OF the Oldest houses in St. Blossom.
Jack agreed and in short time was
mounted on a scatfold about on a level
with the third story windows of the
mansion of CID Judge Preston. the rich
est, and perhaps the most aristocratic
man in the village.
Jack did not find his task an easy one.
The work was rather elaborate. and the
weather was warm. Two days elapsed.
and he had only got ready to commence
putting up the brackets that sustained
~ appeared to sustain the heavy mG!d
ingS. Lunch-time came, and the anna
teur mechanic, getting into the shade.
unpacked his little tin dinner pail, and
began repast at once simple and
nourishing. when he saw that the win.
dow nearest him was open, and some pa
p"rs lying on the escritoire inside were
in danger Of getting blown away.
81 know it is trespasS, meditated he
but it is for the proprietors good. III
step into the roam. and save, perhaps,
soue valuable documents
a little gymnastic exercise brought
him down from his scaffnd, through the
window, and into IA very elegant cham
her.
'IIem' said Jack, woman's apart
mcnt evidently
There were paintings, statueteS, vases,
and forty Other luxurious nothings such
as women of taste love To ga. her around
Them. A guitar repOsed upon the bed,
which stond in crimson curtained al
cove, was strewn with books, in French,
;ingl~h and Italian, as it tutelar deity of
the room had been living down and
amusing herself with music and litera.
tire
There was a portfolio open on the ia.
hie with very nice little water color
,kntch, halt finished; we'll selected,
though small library, in corner. and
everything about the apartment, from
the bed, with the snowy coverlid and
lace embroidered pillows, TO the canary
bird in the window, bespoke refinement
aud delicacy OF taste on the part Of who
ever had arranged the chamber.
Something elegant about all this
amused Jack II must investigate this.
Here's an opening for a splendid bit of
romance-poor young carp inter, and
rich. lovely woman, oh ? lord bless
me there have been bnShels of roman
ces written on the spot"
lie gathered mp the scattered papers,
and placed them beneath paper weight
m the sscrituirs then regainiua his
scaffnld. he finished his lunch and went
to work again little more hopefully
than before.
Several days passed thus. and Jack
rot into a very iluprudent habit OF enter
ing the chamber almost daily, in the
hope of meeting the occupant Of so
charming temple. lie became famil
ior with an the books. pictures. and mu-
sic; whistled the canary in;o commissions
Of song. and drove himself half crazy
with speculations concerning the fair
unknown.
He had heard her sing very sweetly,
Of a morning, when she opened the win
dow. and had caught glimpse of fair
form but she, seeing him, had suddenly
withdrawn, and he had been unable to
discover whether she was beautiful as a
rosebud, or ugly as a camel.
He found that her customary costume
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