American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-01-27
Miscellany.
MIR. ANONYMOUS.
PRESENT.

September, the clocks in the city of Lor
don struck four, and the daily routine c
business in the house of Pumkin Brother
came to a close These events were nc
peculiar TO that day, but story mus
have a beginning. The numerous clerk
closed their ledgers, and slowed ava
their papers with greater alacrity thai
they had shown in bringing them on
some six or seven hours before, and a
they put on their overcoats, hats ant
gloves, they began to chat with each other
One had got an order for the theater TO
two, and asked another to have a chol
with him somewhere, and then go thther
others were members of volunteer corps
and were in hurry to get on their dis
guises, and be haf-right turned some
where All had some personal object
pertaining to love, war, pleasure or dinner
in view in short, the striking of the
clock had a magic power, and turned
them from mechanical cogs into men.
One young man went up to the head OF
the department, and from him received
papers, which he put into the breast
pocket of his coat, and then walked of
without speaking to his fellow clerks, be-
yond bidding good-aftcrnoon to one an
other, and asserting, once or twice to the
"a mean beggar, that Mapleson, said
Jones, as he arranged the flower in his
button-hole.
''Ay,' replied Brown. "He dimes for
shilling
"And inks the rim of his hat"
Perhaps he is poor" suggested the
charitable Robinson
"Poor!' cried Jones, "who isn't? mil
lionaires are not commonly found on
clerks stools. He has his salary, and he
is not married; and yet he stints, and
never goes anywhere or does anything. y
perhaps he has a vice" suggested
Robinson, who always fought the battle
of the absent.
"Ah he may have certainly" replied
Jones, the Just.
But it isn't only his meanness," said
Brown, who had made overtures to Maple
son, which had been met with more po
liteness than cordiality; she is so con
foundedy stuck up. Now of all pride
hate mean pride
The unconscious object of this dispar-
agement walked down Cheapside to st.
Paul's church yard, where he stopped be-
fore a bonnet shop.
"Still there" he muttered, "that is
lucky. How well it will become herr
He entered, bought the bonnet which
had taken his fancy, and with the little
card board box in his hand, started off in
the direction of Islington. In vain did
Hanson cabbies raise their whips, and
omnibus cads cry out" Ton Ton ~
He walked every step of the way home
Home was parlor on the ground floor
a bright and cheerful parlor, the orna-
ments and furniture Of which, though
not costly, were in perfect taste, There
were flowers, there was piano, open
music and books lay about in a comforta
bic, but not untidy way Home was
girl of nineteen, who went into ecstacies
over the bonnet. Home presently was
tea, tea treated as meal, not the mean
ingess supplement late diners understand
by the term.
"What do you think, Harry" eX-
the meal.
"Think ?" replied Henry Maplcson,
with his mouth full why, think that if
there were many men of fortune who
knew that l had Il sister who could make
such anchovy toast as this, they would
soon carry her off from me-
Young men Of fortune do not marry
their cooks the new bonnet is much
more likely to rid you of me. But what
l was going to say was, we have got a
goose"
1t isn't you, pussy, and it is not me"
quoted the brother, turning to the cat.
"Oh, what grammer !"
1.-The verb to get takes an accusative,
Susan. But about the goose. How did |
you steal it ?"
"Nohow it came together with its |
gibIets and half,dozen of sherry"
" What Mr.. Anonymous again:'
eyes"
Gle is very good, said Harry, a serious
expression coming over his face. " But .
there is one thing that do wish he would
send-his name. l hate mystery"
But you like goose" added the sister.
"Well, yes frankly, Ido-sherry like
wise. He says that he is an old friend of
our parents /; but if he is ashamed to ac-
knowledge us now, had sooner be with
out his charity. However, it is ungra-
cious to say SO and after swallowing
twenty-pound note, it would be absurd to
strain at a goose and giblets. We will
cat the bird on the day set apart for that
purpose by the church Shall we invite
our fellow ledger ~
Mr. Nicholson 0 certainly !"
When the tea things We're cleared away,
work upon her brothers buttons and
socks, and while she sewed and darned, he
read a novel aloud to her-equitable divi-
sion of labor y
Just as he had finished chapter, the
hall door closed and observing that Mr..
Nicholson had come in, and that it would
be a good plan to give him his invitation
at once, Harry Mapleson rose and went
out, returning presently, followed by the
an elderly man with slight
stoop, who placed his hat and umbrella
on chair, and came forward to greet
Susan, who took off her thimble to shake
hands with him.
"Have you been to the British Museum
to-day:' She asked.
ayes, my dear yes, as usual ] am a
leech applied by the publishers to old
books" II
"A leech? No, bee"
"Well, that is perhaps prettier way of
putting it, and more complimentary both
10 myself and the venerable authors |
lraw from they are f1owery enough, {
too. But the bee skips from :
bud to blossom in gay coquettish man
1er, which would never draw the. honey
lut of black letter volume, let alone a I
manuscript; ! fear that leeeh is !
more LITERAL
But then, what term would you have {
efl to apply to publishers asked Harry. I
"Nay, nay" said the old man 81 can ]
lot complain. They pay me very well /;
here is not much competition in my
nusty line"
A tyro in physiognomy might have pro !
isunccd Mr.. Nicholson 10 be intellectual {
md benevolent. but it would have taken ,
IN adept in the art TO decipher the expires {
ion which hahitually spread over his fea-
ures There was a weary, hopeless, hunt Z
4 look, which told Of great suffering,
ither mental or physical-probahly the
Fmer. for the deep lines about his mouth r