The Portland daily press., 1873-11-15
Jake's Luck.

Whew it takes my breath away. WHAT Il
Jake de- now, l wonder?
Miss Jennie Smith was an acknowledged
leader in the Squimps academy. She hac
maintained her rotund person and round
good natured face in spite of sour bread and
scanl rations We thin and starvehng girls
looked up TO her as star of the first maSni-
tude. We clustered round her in high con-
clave, as Size sat on desk in the schoo-room
during The temporary absence OF our worthy
pTeceptor.
"Ol. she'll never think Of Jake again,
cried sharp-faced girl in the corner.
"Ill bet she will,' cejoined Miss Smith,
Shaping her hand energetcally on her old
grammar. Miss Smith had ''big brothers,
which may partly account tor the vim with
whIch she was wont to express herself "But
oh. don't wish it was me! To think that
Amanda Liza, that ! used to lend my old col
lars to-"
Young ladies'. Miss Bimmr cried W arm
ing voice; whereat Jenny, with more haste
than dignity, abandoned her lofty position,
and there was a general stampede for seats.
as Miss Bimm, the head teacher, came sail
ing IT,, followed by Mr. Squimps. the princi-
pal black, tall and solemn as the shade of a
lamp post. Now for stlicter rules, longer lee
lures on pcopriety, and general survellance
founded Oh ''certain recent occur rene IS"
What would Mr.. Squ:mps say? Ay, to be
sure that was always question of impor-
lance and Mr.. Squimps always said good
deal. Here was an especial theme for his
eIoqueIce; for this case OF poor Amanda
Liza, who had been his bond-slave for ten
year cuffed and cornered, making no sign,
and at last turning out 20 have relations OF
her own and heap of money, and leaving
his establishment ''lor good and all'' in his
absence, vas a teetie tno much for human
mature, a. he declared. For Mr. Squmps did
:;
III a while as a relief from the high mental
strain of too much Latin and lexicon.
Mr.. Squimps should have been a public
speaker-so bis wife declared, so all his friends
afirned-only the trouble was he would new
er have known when to stop. There was no
cork up to him, the girls declared. Once
given little rope, a small veXation, an acct
dental iarring Of his arrangements, and Mr..
SqulmpS flowed out into iimitesS rivers OF
rhetoric. He argued his point dowr TO the
last ahitte. wound up lplendidly, touched up
his side-whiskers, looked rould for applause,
turned ov,r his wristbands, and before you
knew it, began again.
This was splendid opening, this of Aman-
da Liza s-a girl whom be had taken out OF
''pure' charity when her folks died of fever
girl whom he had educated, bought up in
his very family, nd-and-and-Mr. SquImps
felt himself possessed on this occasion of all
the stock in trade necessary for an orator.
And Mr.. Squ.mps like father to her
too! cried Mrs. Squrnps, elevating her shriv
eled little hands.
Mrs Squimps was small wrinkled lady,
rustiing about of an aftern on in a stiff volu-
minous silk, SO little, so shriveed, she seemed
to rattle in it as she walked, like witheied
kernel in a walnu-shell. She had had the
benefit OF Mr.. oquimp's eloquence the greater
part OF her life, and was much like a worn
Out text, thin and thumbed and faded
The good lazy WIS humbly aware of her
Deficiencies. mere bit of quartz, she did
not attempt to shine even in her husbands
retulsence. AL real authority in her depart
meut was delegated to Miss Bimm, who cal
RED things with an air, taught the .'higher
branches" and took the lead
Mrs. Squimps mecky took the kitchen, en-
inenty litter, as her husband declared, for
that department, which was the foundations
Of all Others. The foundation, prepared uu-
der Ms. Squimp's supervision, was not very
sCbantial. But elegance was the aim, gen
tliity the law at the academy, as Mr. Squimps
observed, ard no one asked twice for the same
dish. An army OF hungry girls, he remarked
privately to Mrs. Squilnps, would devour ali
befo e them unless properly restrained. Un-
der this aspect sour bread and chill pancakes
were iudicious.
Amandy Liza the girl about whom they
were all just now in Juror, had assisted Mis-.
Squmps and the maids in the kitchen OF a
morning, likewise of an evening; between
these she generally sandwiched til thin holr
OF study, which was denominatel her ''edu-
CATION" She wa, slim, drooping-eyed lit
tie thing, who never spoke up for herself;
and ii JAKE hadn't spoken up for her once in
while, / think she would scarcely have held
her own even. Under Mrs. Sqump's moTh ,rly
sway.
'Old Jake" as we called him, was a black
Ind air Ia oat g
the school, general flag. boot-black, and boy
of-allworS to the establishment, with All oc-
casional elevation to coachman. Jake was
subject to a state OF chronic outbreak. FESTIVE
forgeifll OF rules, and dreadful sas " the
maids declared. But Jake had his ideal, AID
that id al was Miss Mandy Liza. Her pa,e,
patient face. her soft, quiet voice, were o.
tent with him. The girl was really poorer
than Jake. lower in the scale, and with no
apparent chance Of Ring from her bondage;
but she recited with the young ladies, aud it
was Jake's high ambition to help her through
with her chores and get her into class. Jake's
guardianship of the girl was an accepted fact
in the school and the village round about
No boy dared play any tricks on Amanda
Liza.
''Jest you wait Il get my luck, an I'll
teach your was Jakes admonition, accom-
panied with cliEching OF his sturdy fist that
abb seconded the argument
The girl took it all ve.y quietly IN her gen.
tie way, and seemed to have kindly regard
for Jtke-mending his coat occasionally, or
darning his stockngs--a th ne Jake calamity
declared "she shouldn't do it never agin; he
wouldn't have no ladies waitin on him.
Latest TIE girls used to nudge each other
and mile; but for all that they were very G. cd
to Amanda Liza, whose faded dress and meek
ways set her apart from The noisy youthful
ness of the resi- or us. We never hegrudged
the extra polish which Jake In bis ca 2acity of
3oot-back bestowed upon her shoes, ana we
did not laugh when those same shoes made
their appearance one day adorned with re-
splenJent pair of steel buckles, which were
atterward discovered TO have been distracted
from the coachman's rig in which Jake &C.
casonally did duty, and to which, am sorry
to add, he was ignomiuously obliged to re-
store them.
Occasionally, on some rare holiday, we
girls had tie privilege of drive out iuto the
country, when tee Squimpses' superannuated
sorrel, covered with an elaborate netting to
conceal its deficiencies, and prickng up its
tassele1 ears with quite a show of spirit,
would set off on brisk trot animated, no
doubt, by the prospect of a grassy nib5ie
along the road Gay times were those. Jake
was at his jolliest, and we ali-cld Dobbius
included-torgot our ''short commons and
l1ng lectures, and grew hilarious together.
tH u pooi Audtud IL I'd, QuiStly StoWSu away
10 the back seat frightened up in the sun
isSht, and was meekly merry Once l re-
member Old Dobbin canered along so frskilv
that he upset the whole party on messy bit
OF rising ground and, whsking his long tail
facetiously, quietly betook himself to pasture,
while we picked ourselves up as best we
we might have had worse luck" said
jake as he piucked Amanda Liza our of the
heap, snook her out. and wiped the dust from
her Dia-k apron, leaving the re. of the party
TO iooS after tn ,mselves. Which we did.
sc oldin; and laughing by turns. and civinr.
quite by accident, the front seat beside JaE,
Amanda Liza the rest of the wav An
the twilight thai summer evening was varn,
and mellow, the fields were gdef, the msaIi
ows fragrant, and we heard a refrain Of tho tho
grand eternal poem on the iolting seat Of the
CID wagon, though Jake was silent the rest
of the way, looking furtiyely now and then At
the girl beside HIM. and being very attentive
to old d bbin. Poor Jake! Amanda LA
had shot up clean out of bis reach since then,
and what we wanted to know was whether
the @il would remember him row in the days
of her elevation.