Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-05-02
TALES AND SKETCHES.
MARRIED. ON HER TENTH
BIRTHDAY.

To speak of "Tovey Brothers" is, in fact,
to he guilty of a very uujustifable misre
presentation-as if the brothers were on an
equal footing. Whereas the title "Tovey
and Brother explains itself, and enables
any rejecting person to understand at once
that "Tovey" is Tovey pure and simple the
head of the firm Brother" though Toyey
too, is only Tovey with a Limitation.
When you enter their place of business
you might wonder what it is they deal in
A few scores of little bottles ranged on
shelves, and filled with various colored IL
guilds and powders; q fewscores of little
polished mahogany cases, each with its
printed Latin label this is oil.
remember that Office as a model of staid
decorum and gravity. Everything went on
as if by machinery. There was a time for
everything, and everything done in its
time. could have found it easy to believe
the very height of each clerks collar was
regulated by office bylaw. No starch has
ever yet been made, however, so stiff that
he cannot laugh in it; and good deal of
quiet fun went on amidst the monotony of
business. Many joke was passed round
from stool to stool, and / think l never
called there once without hearing some new
witticism or some latest joke of Mr.. Rasper's,
whose humor, suppose, must have depend
ed much on manner, tone, and the little ac-
Cidents Of place which could not be rendered
on paper.
Mr.. Rasper's work, and his way. of doing
it, were like his conversation, light and
sprightly. He moved about with an elastic
quick step as if he had difficulty in re-
framing from dancing. He adorned his
writing with fourishes till il was hardly
legible. And when Mr.. Splutter tried to
make him 6iscontiue those embellishments,
he gave such whimsical reasons for their
continuance that he always laughed the
manager out of his attempt to find fault.
Mr.. Bog was heavy and solid. His hand
writing was as regular as engraving. His
ledger had not blot in it from beginning
to end. And when any figure in it had to
be altered it was done SO neatly as to be al
most an improvement. He was a plodding
thoroughly reliable man, and he had never
been known by any one in the Office to make
joke and had not often, they said, been
made to comprehend one. Mr.. Rasper nev-
er made anything else, and saw them where
| Others intended no such thing. Mr.. Bog
made up, however, for his dullness by the
J frankness with which he admitted it, and
by his invariable good temper. 1t was quite
impossible to put him out, and when the
suspicion came across him as it did now
and then, that Rasper had been hammering
at him for an pour or more, he bore no
malice.
There was, however, one matter in which
all in the Office concurred that they had q
| right to find fault with Bog. He was un-
married, and all the rest were married men.
And on this shortcoming one and all were
determined that he should have no peace.
Not day passed but some new hypothesis
was started as to the reason of his continu-
| ing bachelor; not a day without some
new name being suggested to him as that
| of lady with whom he yet might have a
chance. To all of which suggestions Mr..
Bog persistently and good. .naturedly turned
deaf ear. A respite came to him twice a
year from all this worrying.
Twice year Mr.. Bog went on his travels,
for about month at time. For it was
the custom of the house to let their travel
| ing be done by the clerk, instead of keeping
travellers to do nothing else. In this way
one or two of them were always out, and
all of them in turn had pleasant relief
( from the monotony of Office life.
"Now Bog" Mr.. Rasper would say, "you
must try and manage it this journey. Re-
| present your case once more to that Leices-
ter girl, and perhaps she'll change he,
mind" 1t was One of Mr.. Rasper's friendly
assumptions that Mr.. Bog had been rejected
in every town he went to, and Leicester be-
ing in his round, it was usually the Leices-
ter girl who was recommended for second
trial.
And thus the joke was repeated year after
year, till at last Mr.. Bog's case came TO be
considered by all SO thoroughly hopeless
that If he had come down some morning In
q pink vest and lemon-colored tights nc
one would have thought it half SO surprising
as that he should really take Mr.. Rasper's
advice. =,
Let the reader Judge therefore, for himself
with what effect this bomb-shell fell in the
Office four days after Mr.. Bog was supposed
to have started on one Of his journeys. The
missile came by post in the shape OF news