Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-08-16
JAKE'S LUCK.

Whatever aOiU Mr.. Squimps say?
Oh, girls, to think of it-poor washed
out Amanda Liza, with her check aprons
and faded. calicoes-to think of hel
turning out an heiress Whew it
takes my breath away. What'll Jake do
now, I wonder?
Miss Jenny Smith was an acknowl-
edged leader in the Squimps academy.
She had maintained her rotund person
and round good-natured face in spite
of sour bread and scant rations. We
thin and starveling girls looked up to
her as a star of the first magnitude.
We clustered round her in high con-
clave, as she sat on desk in the school
room during the absence of our worthy
preceptor.
"Oh, 8heW never think of Jake
again, cried sharp-faced girl in the
corner.
"I'll bet she will" reioined Miss
Smith, slapping her hand energetically
on her old grammer. Miss Smith had
" big brothers., which may partly ac-
count for the vim with which she was
wont to express herself. "But oh,
don't I wish it was me To think that
Amanda Liza, that fused to lend my
old collars too"
"Young ladies, Miss Bimm ' cried
warning voice; whereat Jenny, with
more haste than dignity, abandoned hel
lofty position, and there was a general
stampede for seats, as Miss Bimm, the
head teacher, came sailing in, followed
by Mr.. Squimps, the principal, black,
tall, and solemn as the shadow of 8
lamp-post. Now for stricter rules
longer lectures on propriety, and q gen.
eral surveillance founded con certain
recent occurrences. .
What would Mr.. Squimps say Ay
to be sure that was always question
of Importance, and Mr.. Squimps al
ways said a good deal Here was al
especial theme for his eloquence fol
this case of poor Amanda Liza, who had
been his bond-slave for ten years, cuff
ed and cornered, making no sign, and
at last turning out to have relations o1
her own and heap of money, and leav.
ing his establishment "for good ano
all :" in his absence, was a LeetLe toe
much for human nature, as he declared
For Mr.. Squimps did not disdain tc
descend to familiar colloquialisms
once in a while as a relief from the high
mental strain of too much Latin and
lexicon.
Mr.. Squimps should have been 6
public speaker-so his wife declared, sc
all his friends atfirmed-only the trouble
was he would never have known wher
to stop. Once given little rope, 6
small vexation, an accidental jarring OF
his arrangements, and Mr.. Squimps
flowed out into limitess rivers of rhet
oric. He argued his point down to the
last whittle, wound up speedily
touched up his side whiskers, looked
round for applause, turned over his
wristbands, and, berfore you knew it
began again.
This was a splendid opening, this Of
Amanda Liza's-a girl whom he had
taken out of "pure " charity when hel
folks died of fever, girl whom he haC
educated, brought mp in his very fam
ily, and-and-and- Mr.. Squimps fel
himself possessed on this occasion O
all the stock in trade necessary for al
orator.
"And Mr.. Squimps like father t.
her, too !" cried Mrs. Squimps, eleva
ting her shriveled little hands.
Mrs. Squimps was small wrinklet
lady, rustllng about of an afternoon il
stiff voluminous silk, so little, 81
shriveIed, she seemed to rattle in it a.
she walked, like withered kernel in
walnut-shell. She had had the benefi
of Mr.. Squimps's eloquence the create
part of her life, and was much like
worn-out text-thin and thumbed anC
faded.
The good lady was humbly aware o
her deficiencies. A mere bit of quartz
she did not attempt to shine even il
her husbands refulgence. All rea
authority in her department was dele
gated to Miss Bimm, who carried thing
with an air, taught the higher branch
es, and took the lead.
Mrs. Squimps merely took the kitch
en-, eminently filter, as her husband de
clared, for that department, which wa
the foundation of all others. The foun
dation, prepared under Mrs. Squimp'
supervision, was not very substantial
But elegance was tie aim, gentility tn
law, at the academy, as Mr.. Squimp
observed, and no one asked twice TO