Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-11-16
Selected Storm.
BILL WILSON'S FIRST PLACE.

D6y's Lille ana LILIES Memory.
eea II JACOB SAD.
suppose you know, said Bill, that was
born In London. You could tell that by
the queer shape of my underpinnings-
there never was oockney with straight
legs-as we'll as some other characteristics,
On my tenth birthday my father took me
into the kitchen and said: BILLY, you're
ten years old to-day, and mean you shall
recollect; it's time you gave your mind to
something else beside knocking at peoples
doors and running away" And with that
he gave me such dose of leather beltas ]
never had before. Perhaps I was q bad
boy. At all events I didn't 90 to school
that day; but knocked at all the doors |
could, and finally resolved to get place,
for there was dignity about the half.
starved errand boys trotting about the
streets, with paper caps on, that longed
to attain to. So walked about the streets
of London till came to the iron ratings
round Buckingham palace, in st. James
park.
''Ah r shaking my little fist through the
fence, "how I would like to get up revolu-
ion and chop your head off P'-this speech
being intended for the Queen, of course.
Hardly had uttered the last word, when /
urned round and found terribly big sem
incl beside me. Expecting to be immedi-
.tely shot for my treason, was unable to
tIr, when the sentinel thundered at me:
"You're a nice young gent of the lower
iasses, said be, ''to come round ere shak-
ng your fist at 'er majesty, and using sedi-
ious language. Wot do you mean?''
With that the soldier took me by the
ar, and l thought I should certainly nev-
see my mother again, and began to cry,
7hen deliverance came in the shape of nv
lrst master, who stopped on his walk past,
old the soldier he would report him, and
sked me what / had been doing. His
'as beautiful face. l shall never forget
"a little dandified, perhaps, but open
nd generous and sympathetic. repeated
~ little speech. and he looked at me
loughtfully and said:
'tAh, my boy, if every boy in England
aould grow up with such ideas, what a
sarful future we would have. I will give
on place, my boy"
! thought when heard this remark that
" master was what they called 'svision-
y reformer," but when I followed him to
Is room-a long way off, in the old jew
ry-l found he was only young doctor.
Ie had two rooms a front and back parlor
4
vas to stay, and the back one his dispen-
arg.
The very next morning after my engage
nent with him he called me into his study
and, having made me repeat my seditious
speech agaIn-at which he laughed immod-
erately-he said:
"a boy with your revolutionary ideas
ought to be in one of the learned profes.
sions. Now, if you had some friend to
pay your expenses 2"
81 haven't" I said, promptly.
''That is the difference between you and
me-" said he, laughing again. 'My friends
pay all my bills. I suppose you are not
afraid of dead people ?"
ssOh, no." said I, and that was, perhaps,
the first lie ever told.
Because, if you are," he continued
tsyou will never do for doctor. Take this
note and this cloth and go to Gray's Inn
Hospital, and bring back what they give
you. You are quite sure you are not afraid
of dead people Z"
Yes, sir" said I, telling another fb.
The fact is. I'm afraid of dead people TO
this day; they are altogether too sugges-
tive. My master thereupon gave me a lit.
tie note, folded up like necktie, but not
sealed. Notwithstanding my masters ge,
NAL manner, strongly suspected that the
note contained directions for my own dis
section, and / therefore took the liberty of
opening it in the first dark court [ came to.
1t was simply an order to give the bearer
a .preparation" But this did not satisfy
me, for how was I to know that giving me
a preparation" might not, after all
be Latin for skinning me alive.
However, eager for the novelty,
I resolved to take the risk,
and SO, when I arrived at the hospital,
asked a tall man to ring the bell for me,
went in, and was directed TO long, low
building in the corner of the yard. push.
ed the door of this place open, entered,
and the door closed with heavy weight
not half as heavy though, as my heart
was when found myself in the dead house
alone, IS thought. Two long rows o
wooden benches, like battened doors OF
trestles, were there, and on most of them &
form, the CHASTITY outlines of which the
sheets couldnot entirely conceal. / tried te
pull the heavy door open, but my little
strength avaiied nothing. So began te
cry, ard man who had been seated in the
corner started up.
"Well, young shaver" said he-a hard
ened looking scallawag -''what are you {
yelling like that for? Don't you know bet
ter than to wake them corpses up? Wo
are you arter ?"
"A PREPARATION" I said, blubberine
rather loudly. ---....
"Ah," said he, 'you're rather youns
covey to be in our line. Now which par
ticular preparation would you like? Here
preparation wot hanged hisself this morn
ing. and with this he uncovered one o
the bodies with blue mark all around hi
neck-stand here's another wot fell out O
a winder, and here's an interesting case O
smashed in a mscheen-uncovering thes,
successfully. How much longer the fellow
would have amused me in this way, or hov
many fits he would have thrown me into,
don' know. but just then another man en-
tered who looked like doctor, and pre-
sented my note and my cloth, andssin few
minutes got the right preparation,
and departed. But my troubl es begal
anew, making me realize that there ar
vicissitudes in the life doctors boy.
- For, as | walked along the streets,
seemed to be an object of intense interes
to the rest of the boys, who followed me
and OF curiosity to the grown people, VIII,
looked back after me. Pretty soon tn
BOYS began to pelt me with stones, anC
L
run, they began to cry "Step thief" but
ran on till was again almost frightene,
out of my wits by being coilard by shah
by looking man.
''You young wagabone, said this man
whose grave have you been robblng
Who have you been a-murderin?
Whether he really thought l had bee
digging up some poor sinner or murder
ing grown person, I can't say, but hi
remarks were occasionad by tbs fect tina
one extremity of my preparation, whic
was some poor hospital patients arm, wa
exposed to sight. How / should have 60
rld OF my tormentors do not know. Il m
master had not driven along just then i
hahsom, and stopped and called a ca
ior me and sent me home. He cid nc
laugh at my dilemma, as I thought h
would, but only said:
"Ah my boy, worse trials than thi
are waiting for you"