Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-08-08
The Leisure Hour.
WIZ. T.sBBRN.sCLB's DaUGH-
TER.


Old Levy Samuel Davis of Clothiers' al
lev, ST. Bartholomews, Smithtield, Little
Britain, was as "downey cove'-to use
slang that seems almost obsolete, but was
fashionable when Dickens wrote "Oliver
Twist'-as you could find in the three
Kingdoms. He rose early and went 10 bed
late and he lived in the times when mon
ey was to be made.
He did not confne himself to the sale OF
garments, old or new, although the nimbie
penny had an attraction for him; but now
and then Levy S. Davis-od "9 s. d." as
they called him-ventured into rare and
curious old silver crucifixes and altarpate
he was especially fond of; and, accompan-
led by sweating and putting Anglo Sax
on servant, carrying, Heaven knows how
many ounces of old plate in canvas bag,
Levy would venture far into the lands of
the Philistines and sell his wares 10 the
west end siversmiths.
"God bless me-what Rpe work y cried
Mr.. Borax, the eminent jeweler "Where
did You get it from, Mr.. Samuels?
"Tbats mi buziness, sir; but / know
you'll buy 1t. God bless me you know
fine piece of work when you see it, sir. l
always sez, seZ I, If there is man who
| has a ne nose for piece of good work,
| Muster Borax is the man. And, sir, Da-
| Wis ish mi name"
The end of it was that old "G $. d." sold
that for 25s. an ounce that he had only
given 5s. for; while the crucihx, upon
which Mr.. Davis gloated with peculiar
pleasure, passed from Mr.. Davis TO Mr..
| Bara ", aud Io.n h,. DvraN 20 some great
nobleman's house; and Mr.. Davis grew
rich. Where did he get these works OF arty
II w as in the old time, and ships from be-
yond seas-esp specially from Spain and the
low countries-brought rare treasures,
which would now fetch Ten times the price
they then fetched.
As Mr.. Davis grew old, he who had as
sisted at the spelling of many churches be-
thought himself that he would enrich his
own; 81 he scraped more and more, and
took larger interest, ana saved even cam
dies ends, Till his neighbers wondered at
his parsimouy. Even his favorite son was
muleted of some part of his education; and
Mr.. Samuel Davis, Junior, was taken from
University college, London, and put in a
lawyers Office. As this lawyer was under
Mr.. Daviss thumb-he had foolishly been
Joint security for defauting gclient-young
"s. d." had his articles presented him gra-
tis, upon paying for the stamps only; and
old &c s. d." chuckled with pride as he
thought that his son would be "9entle-
man by act of Parliament"
"S'hep me Benjamin p interjectcd 's.
d." who in his youth had wicked wit,
sits the on'y way we can be-
"O'd yer tongue-o'd yer tongue" cried
the old man. ave can buy 'em up-buy
em up"
But this was of little consolation to him.
His money increased marvelously, but his
! trouble as well. His priest came and read
him the holy books and the penitentia
psalms. and his heart was smitten.
SAMMY" cried he. one day.
"Wots the row ?" asked the young limi
of law, who was practicing engrossing OIL
some blue lined draft paper, and irritatin,
his fathers soul by using it wastelully.
"Such a b-hoyr' said Davis, senior, pee
vlshly. There amt no row-on'y ther'
will be. I'm goin' TO die"
"Time enough for that, .ather," returned
as. d." junior, without looking round.
"S'help me" -
"Bob," said the boy, pously.
"rll leave it all to strangers, and bull
tabernacle, If you amt good"
"No, you won't, returned ''s. d." junior
He was quite right. He did not. But h
did build one end of a meeting house, G
synagogue, and he worried all his brethre
till he made them subscribe toward 1t, fc
which he took all the credit aud hencefol
ward he was called "Old Tabernacle"
This act of faith gave him a new lease c
life; but in due time he slept with his Fl
thers, leaving rs. d." a gay young fellow
with taste for opera, flowers, Convent ga
den, fish dinners and dry wines. He WI
an ad mitted attorney, but he did not pra
tice much, and had, indeed, little need
work. But he took house in a side sire
running out Of Piccadilly, and on the do'
he placed the name Of
MR.. DAVIS TABERNACLE, SOLICITOR.
lie thought the name a good one. l
hated the name and tribe of Levy, al
abominated Samuels; but Davis, he pr
sumed was Welsh, and the surname, he q
serted, he inherited from his father. j.
was old Tabernacle, and his son had be,
n often in his lifetime called young Tabern
vi Gle.
Mr.. Davis Tabernacle, 1t il needless
=, say, prospered. He was not suspected
belonging to the ancient people of who
was so unworthy as 10 be ashamed; a
although he had but one clerk, he was f
of business. lie moved in society of j
culiar sort plenty of lords and ladies, he
orabes, and so on, did he know-afte
manner; and he, as we have said, was
cepted as Christian attorney. There /
two or three sorts of Jews-the mealy Je
. Of the red or sanguine Jew, and the bl'
ass .D,e black Israelite, who always has dark b
mark round his shayen chin, and the lad
of whose tribe have tendency TO W
! moustaches. Mr.. Tabernacle was Of