American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-03-01
JOHNNY FORTNIGHT.

eS, tIldL lily UiiiNc. tuU L i DtI Hliic-
ty-ninc out of every hundred of you new
er heard it before. But you know who
am, for all that. LondOners call me the
tallyman, East-enders, l mean, and other
questionable folk, for of course Belgra-
via and Tyburnia know me not, any more
than they know several other tribes who
prey as do on the jewellers in those parts
of London which the swells have only
heard of.
Down near the Lands End I'm called
Johnny Fortnight. They're fond of queer
name down there they call a little beer
shop kiddle-a-wink a bed is ty; the
industrious ant is murrian; a mail is a
bOOlawn; a we'll q pccth (puteus, my
friend the national schOOlmaster sug-
gests1; a root mOhr a mine bal /: and
1 might go on with page OF queer
words, for the people are Cornish. They
sing their WORDS and, although a cock
ncy would catch their meaning Far sooner
than that Of ZummerZeat or Dosset or
Devonshire laborer, he would notice, be-
sides the queer words, a lot of queer
phrases, such as Sc Good night upon you,
betokening difference of race.
Isit this difference which makes them call
me Johnny aforesaid? No, the reason is
that make them pay for what they buy of
me at the modest and equitable rate of a
shilling weekly. and their constant eff
fort is TO put off payment till the week
Weekly, they desire to make me what they
have taken to call me.
For the rest, / am most re. pectable
Individual. If you met me with my we'll
combed beard usually ''sandy''-red, say
my detractors j my unimpeachablc scarf,
as neat, breast-pin and all, after Il dozen
miles on the tramp, as when l started
from home; my well-polished boots,
which always manage to keep clean
one can do it in West Cornwall, for even
weather like this can't turn pounded
granite into mud; my trim lcggings, and
my pack, which, with its apparatus OF
straps and the Indispensable stick. is q
sight to see, you'd never believe that am
the representative and lineal descendant
of thar dirty, tricky, slouching old Au-
tolycus, the peddler.
Yes, I'm highly respectable; it would
not pay to be otherwise. Do you think
my customers would believe me if was
as untidy as little PenrOse, the draper in
st. Fusty ChurchtOwn, or as rlnpretend-
ing as poor old Mrs. Penaluna, who has
been measuring out tapes and staylaces
and yards of flannel for the last forty
wears to few billiards among the earn
Brea folks? 1 have a fine presence, what
the newspapers call p good physique; and
l. the particular who now write, am a
well known and appreciated ''lOcal." 1t
pays, that does; and [ am not the only
for that very sufficient reason. Ami
most of the pursers of mines ''lOcals, y
and many of the .'mine captains to boot
and, many of the little great men who
put their money tout to use' among the
farmers? You see the people trust us :
deal more when were're pretty high M
in 1.-THE Church, and it's so good to bt
trusted, especially if you have to sell any.
thing that parties must take your WORD
for. And, besides, we know our men and
women more, and get hold on them such
as we couldn't get in any other way
The thing is to be class-lcader; one Of
your class'll always come to you, no mat
ter what his trouble is and when people
do that, it gives you many ways of quiet
ly pushing your business. Bless you
you've no idea of the queer things class
leaders are called on to do. 1 was
standing one night near upon twelve
O'Clock lit was years before the new Act,
under the portico of the Commercial Ho-
tel up to st. Fusty, smoking my evening
pipc-why shouldn't l take my ease at my
inny Johnny hadn't been seven years al
work without having pretty well lined his
purse, l can tell you. Well, I'd come out
to have my smoke, and to freshen up !;
bit after the dampness of the st. Fusty
commercial room, when down the side
street 1 heard a strange noise. 1t was ;
blind alley, blocked at the end by Low
wall, over which many people in the day
time made thOrOughfare. L looked
round the corner, and saw man, evident
iy more than half drunk, trying to feel ;
gap in the wall, and asserting at each fail
ure that it was "blessed" strange In
couldn't find his way, what with the mOoI
and all. He talked loudly enough to rous'
the nei1IbOrs; and pretty soon doc
opened, and a clear, decided voice, AS o
one used to command, called, who arr
you, making this piece of work at tbi
time o. night?'' Whereupon our inebri
ated friend began in the old miner
dra~l: ''Oh, young Pusser, don't zee b.
angry now. You do knaaw me. In
James Trembaath up to Ballosinny
worked at the blacksmith's shop thi
more nor twelve year. Yes, you d,
knaaw me. L was in you're class for years
young Pusser. And then took to takin
drop too much; and that's what don,
this night, and now can't find my way
home. But you do knaaw me. youn,
Pusscr; and there, if you'll show me tn,
way home, III tell zee what, I'll give e,
shilling for the missionaries Exeun
purser and blacksmith, leaving me to re
fleet on the strange tie between leader
and class, and on the possible advantage
therefTOm to a man in my line. Yes.
must manage to be Il class-leader befor
long; and then if take missus and ope
shop somewhere, as well as going IN
rounds, 1 shall do double as well as
could without leadership to help me.
I'm "1ocal," as / said, and I'm yer
proud OF that same. Pm not one OF ther