Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-01-10
THE WORLD OF NUMBERS.

If q bad boy could have been a posi-
bilitv in such model village as Hayling
ton, Tommy Spratt would have been that
bow: but, as it was, overawed by the
vicar, the wears wife, the wears three
strong minded daughters, the schoolmas
ter, the schoolmistress, and the six pupil
teachers the natural wiCkedness of his
disposition only displayed itself in an in
tense hatred of study, especially of that
division of the 'three RS" known as
arithmetic.
"I hate figgers, I do; I wish they was
blowed," soliloquized that hardened
youth of ten, as one arithmetic afternoon
he set off for school. AS support for the
outer man during the fatiguing journey
he carried in his right hand solder
piece of gingerbread, while with the othel
he restrained by string half-penny
air ball, colored orange, destined to be
guile the tedious hours.
Tommy Spratt left his home with NJ
other intention than that of going straigh
to school; but Tommy Spratt was mortal
and as one ehot, dusty lane led to the school
room, where grimy slate and scrapy
pencil awaited him, while the other me
andered through green fields, he did no
even hesitate, but turned at once into
the shady paths of temptation.
He cast himself on the grass, and pre-
pared to take an invigorating taste of the
delicious though crumbly refreshments
he had provided, having first carefully Sc
cured mis- air ball to the leathern belt,
which, fastened by brazen buckle in the
shape of an uneoiled dragon, gathered his
Holland blouse into graceful folds. NOW,
whether Master Tommy's derelictlon
80 vs,-E11 yna
longer amenable to the laws OF gravity
or whether the air ball was endowed
with supernatural powers, it is lmpossl
BILE to say; all that this veracious chronl
Gle can tell is, that instead of Tommy
keeping the miniature balloon down or
earth, it, like Mr.. Dryden's Timotheus,
''Raised mortal to the Skies
"Hullol" he cried in alarm. "I dom
like this. Let me CO."
'But by degrees he grew accustomed
to the sensation, and rather enjoyed i
than otherwise; it was so pleasant, i
soothed him to slumber, slumber from
which he was aroused by violent con
cussion of his head against a corner curb
stone.
How long he lay in a state of semi-in
sensibility he never knew but at last HI
struggled and sat upright, finding him
self, the air-ball still attached to his belt
in crowd of odd-looking creatures
They all of them varied in size, but they
were as a rule below the stature of human
beings, the most remarkable thing abou
them being that every one, like the sand
wich men of London, carried board OF
which was inscribed every description o
number.
When they saw Tom open his eyes
there was one universal question: ''Wh,
divides him?"
"Ohl please don't" said Tommy, il
mortal dread. ''I amt at all good to eat
but this here is" rendering them the re
mains of the gingerbread, which had beer
reduced to shapeless mass during tn
psrils of his journey.
No ene seemed to take any notice o
Master Spratt's suggestion, but one stou
old man bearing the number AL asket
with dignity:
"Are you even or uneven?"
Tom scratched his head, unable to re
ply, and second broke in with:
w hats your number?"
10, replied Tom, readily, that bein!
the numberin Balaclava COTTAGES. Victori
row, where Mrs. Spratt had lately takel
up her humble abode.
''That you amt" cried an indignan
voice; and short, fussy gentleman burs
from the crowd, and pointed to the lie
gend 16 inscribed upon his board. ''Here
2, A, 81"
In obedience to his call, three number
bowed humbly before him.
''Chsstise that fellow"
''That's smean, nblubbered Tom. "Thre
upon onel Yer ought to be ashamed c
yerselves, yer ought. Give me a han
p, one of yer"
The cry again arose: 'tWho divide
your and the first stout man added, wit
some contempt:
II must run and fetch l."
"Fetch him YOURSELF retorted 2. :
don't divide you"
AL cast an anxious glance around
them catching sight of 8, he hegal