, 1873-03-26
;" "MELONS,"


AnOtRler or 4srct E1{trtG53 EIprpcs,
The following bitof dosorptton In Brat uarte'a
hest vein il from Ills last book Ut sketches: lila
ago was about 7. I1e looked older. from tho ye,l-
erablo whiteneRs Of Ills head, aud it was inpo,-
Ebe to conjecture hia eizo, as he always woro
clothes apparently. belonging to some slapey
sustained by single ausponder, completely
equipped him, formed llia everyday auit. How,
with this lavish s.lpcriuity Of clothing, le man-
aged to perform tho surprising gynlnastic foata
been able to tell. His turning tho crab," mud
other minor dslocatons, wore always attended
with succoss. 1t waa not IN unusual sight
at any, hour Of the day to find Molons sua-
appearing above the roofs Of the out-llousos.
Melons knew tho exact height of oybry fonco i,1
tie vicinity, its facilities for acang, and tho
possibility for seizure on tho other sldo. His
In dragging diausou boiler by q largo string,
with hidoouH outcrIos to inag ginary fires. Melons
was not gregarjous In his habits,
A few youths Of lliH own ago sometimes called
and their viaits were more strictly predatory in.
cursiOnB for old bOttleH aud junk, which formed
the staple OF AlcdinMis' court. Overcome by
loneliness ono day, MolonB invoiglca 4 blind
wrotched man prosecute his un!alowod calling,
unreconponse1, and going round aud round tlla
court, apparently under tho impression that it
was Home other plneo, whilo Melons surveyed
uW lE0ul I'LL uAulokA!ub 45uGe MILL cAiN bALlHIRC-
tion. It WAS tho absence Of conscientious mo-
tfyes that brought Melons into dsropute with
hia aristocratic 1loi,,hbors. Orilern were issued
that no child Of woalthy and pious parentaSo
should play with him. That mandate, as a mat
tor OF course, iryoBtod Moons with fascinating
interest to them. Admiring glancoB were cns}
ut Melons from nursery windows. Baby-iingera
beckoned to him. Invitations to tea Ton wood
and lewter) wero llBped to him from ariAtocra!ia
back yards. It WAS ovidont i,o wnH looked upon
as pure and noblo being, untrammelod by tla
oonyontionalitios Of parentago, and physically
aB we'll us mentally oxatod abovo thon.
Ono afternoon an unusual comnaotion pro-
vailed III tho vicinity Of Afclinnis' court. Look
Ing from my window, I saw Moloi,s porched Oh
tho roof Of stable, pulling up q ropo by which
one "Tommy," all infant Scion Of an nd aceut
and wealthy Aoaso wns suspended in mil mir. In
win tile female relatives Of Tommy. congregat-
cd in The bnck yard, oxpogtulatcl with Melons;
in vain tho unhappy father alsool his HITS ut him.
Secure in llis position, A1olons rodoubed his or
ertioua, and Ut last landed Tommy OH tho roof.
closed that Tommy hal beon acting in colluson
with Melons. 1Io grinncd delighted back ut hia
paronts, as if shy merit raiHad to that bad ON.
inenco." Long boforo the ladder arrived TINT
waa to Buccor linn lo became tho Bworn ally Of
Melons, aud, regret to say, melted by tic Han,a
aulaciol1a boy, "chatfed' his own Nesh md
blood below him. IIo was eventually take,i,
though, of course, Melons escaped. Bit Tom.
my WAS restricted to tho window after that, and
the oompanionshtp was limitod to "Hi,
Melona!" aud "you, Tomnyl" and Melons.
looked aftorwarl to 900 somo signn Of sorrow on
Melons' part but In win ho buried his grief,
II he had any, aomowhere In his ono yol,lnlinoua
garment