The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-29

| though II were a punishment, and not privi-
| ege. The dull dead log has sprouted green
leaves, and become quite sprishtly member Of
| society. True, he has not given up the ghoul
| business, nor the lean dog business but now he
| is a ghoul in O cutaway coat in place of
| shroud; the lean dog cocks his ears, and carries
| his tail with an insoent and defiant cUrl In it.
| He is man and brother In pursuit of his
| honest calling. He has music 10 vend In
| ha'porths and pennorths; and if you don't
| choose to buy, there are plenty of householders
| in your street that will. Don't put yourself out
| of the way, my dear sir; dou't stand there at
| your parlor window shaking your head, and
! frowning, and making threatening gestures; he
is now playing for your edi6catlon; he is
| playing to the people next door bat
| take penn'orth of music of him
every morning as regularly as they take q
pennorth OF dogs meat for ,Mungo. pretty
thing, indeed, that you should presume to order
him off just because YOU don't happen to like
musicl You might as reasonably prohibit the
dog's-meat man from calling at number thirteen
because nobody on your premises has an appe-
tIte for dogs meat. This is the argument pro-
vided for the oraan-grinder by his noble cham
pons and supporters, and he is not slow to avail
himself OF It. How can you be out of temper
with poor fellow who knows not a word of
the language in which you are abusing him,
and, therefore, cannot retallate? 1t is mean, 1t
is cowardly, 1t is un.Engish. 1t would not
be surprising II he turned round on you
and pelted you with such broken bits
of English as he is master of But he
Is a good-humored fellow, and does
he replies by thrusting out his tongue, and
making funny face at you. If you appear at
your gate and order him off, he is moved to no
worse than playfully applying his thumb to the
tip OF his nose, and twiddling his outstretched
fingers Yah Go in. Stuff your ears with
wool. 1t will be quite time enough for him to
go when he sees you rushing down the street
III search Of policeman. Even If you have the
good luck to find one in time, and the
courage to give the ruttian into custody
(Which means accompanying. the "charge"
Al or,A hoifo
chafIed by the organ-grinder's friend, the mob,
all the way you gc), you will probably find the
game hardly worth the candle. The prisoner
does not know one word of English, explains
the Interpreter to the magistrate, and was quite
unaware that the gentleman wished him to go
away. But, says his worship, the gentleman
states that he took the trouble to come out into
his garden to motion you away. That
is true, replies the interpreter, after referring
his worship,s remarks to the now deeply peni-
tent grinder, but the prisoner misunderstood
he thought that the gentleman was come out to
dance.
1t may occur to the inexperienced that all
this is most unnecessary fuss, the remedy for
the alleged grievance being so obvious. The
oTgan-gTnde1S is no fool; all he seeks is your
penny, and cares not how little he does for it;
what, therefore, can be easier than to save your
time and your temper by sending him out so
paltry a sum with the civil message that you
won't trouble him to play? You may be making
some sacrifice OF principle, 1t may cause you
momentary annoyance to suspect that your
enemy grins as he turns from your gate with
your penny in his pocket; but look on the other
side OF the question. The blow-hy banished
from your larder, your meal-ar freed from the
devouring weevil, your quill rescued from it's
impish rider, your golden hours round and
sound and all your own
You are right, oh innocent adviser! Cheap,
dirt cheap, would it be if, on payment of
penny, immunity from persecution might be
purchased. 1t would be astroke of business on
the accomplishment of which we might we'll be
proud, if one bought off the whole brigand
army at like figure. But beware OF the pit
| fall! Should you be weak enough to yield that
| first single penny your doom is sealed. 1t is
| merely hushing fee, emitting you to rank
| amongst the organ mans regular customers.
| The torturer will now consider himself as regu-
| laTly engaged, and exactly week from the time
| turn up again, his countenance beaming with a
| smile of recognition as you amazedly look out
| on him from your window, and he won't bulge
until he gets his penny. Nor is this all. You
are duly reported at the headquarters of the
| sworn brotherhood of grinders as another to
the long list of victims willing to pay for peace,
and for the future no organ or hurdy-gurdy
bearer will pass your door without giving you
the opportunity for exercising your philan-
thropy. There is no cure for the evil; organ
grinding has become settled institution OF the
country, and as such must be endured.
And having arrived at this conviction comes
in the example of the Alpine traveller quoted at
the commencement of this paper-of the poor
prisoner who beguiled the tedium of lncarcera-
ners OF the rats which were at first his horror.
Might / not be better employed than to sit
mopng in my chamber with vinegar rags
adorning my throbbing temples because of
| these Italian rats squealing under my window?
Were their habits and customs less interesting
! than those of the four-legged Yermin? Did
| know more about one than the other? De-
| cidedly; but the advantage was with the quad
rupedal animal. | do happen TO know some-
| thing about mus decurndnUS. / know that its
hind legs are longer than its front ones, that it
| has propensity for burrowing under walls, and
that it commonly sits on its hind legs and holds
the food it eats in its fore paws. know that its
| nature ls very cunning; that, acting in concert
| rats nave been observed to cart of unbroken
| eggs from basket, one acting as ''cart - lying
| on his back and grading the egg between his
| forepaws while two other rats acting as team
| sters, have dragged home the "cart" by its tail.
| have heard, and place equal reliance in, the
| story of the rat that emptied narrow flask of
| oil by lowering his caudal appendage into it.
withdrawing it, licking it clean, lowering it again
| and so on. But don't know half as much about the
| Organ-grinder. That his fore limbs are shorter
| than his lateral may be assumed, but what
| about his burrowing! That he does burroW is
certain, because during certain hours of the
| twentytour he, happily, disappears. He must
| have home somewhere. He Is met at all
| hours of the day as far away as Highgate, HAM
mersmith, and Sydenham, but come night
wherever he may be, he is invariably found to
be turning his steps in northwesterly direc-
tion. However far away, he is rarely seen re-
freshing himself at an inn; he was never yet
known to apply for a bed at the waysde coun-
try publc-house. 1t is doubtful If he
would be entertained. If man on horse
back applied for lodging the matter might be
easily arranged. the man to his chamber and
the horse TO the stable; but a man with an