The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-02-20


head several times against the wall, which
operation seemed to complete the process
of examination.
"9or are a bad, deceitful boy" said she
but that is no reason, after all, why you
should be denied chance to earn your
bread. Come, let me see you wash these
Dishes" 1t appeared that the junior boy
acted as servant-girl in old Macdonald's
establishment.
No boy ever washed dishes better than
L did that morning. | made them shine
and they. were very dirty, too. wanted
to conciliate the old woman. if possible
The final wipe was being administered to
the last platter when my master appeared
in the room.
GLOW does he get along?" he inquired
glancing at me.
"He does well enough" said the old
lady, ''but he's so decitful in his looks -
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, ~
said my master, ''to talk of a nice boy in
that manner"
My masters manner, as he spoke these
words, showed little trepidation-quite
justified, indeed, by the crisis they precip-
uttered than the old lady, whom l had
supposed to be quite feeble, snatched up
dish-cloth and hurled it at her husband,
the slippery article lodging for moment
on his noble Roman nose, then falling to
the floor with a splash; she then selected a
variety of articles and pelted us till we
left the room and went down stairs, and
just as we got to the bottom wash-dish
full of soap-suds descended upon our
heads, the old lady being undoubtedly one
of the positive sort.
"Never mind, William" said the old
man, "what your mistress says or does
| n ic ornttinn q t,io
hope you are not a revengeful youth.'
80 no, SIR" l answered, eagerly, 81
know we must always forgive and for
get"
"That's right, my boy" replied my
master, smiling through his soap-su Is +;
"You know the plumbers shop over the
way" he continued.
.'Yes, sir" replied, "the shop with
the pump in the window"
"The very one," said he, "what nice,
smart boy you are! | want you to go
| tell them that Mr.. Macdonald must have
the money. We can never get along with
out money, William
L started Immediately, very much
pleased, deeming my mistress's estimate
of my character totally erroneous, and
thinking that was indeed pretty nice
sort of boy.
"What good thing it is" thought l,
"to be such a nice boy as l am" This
was my reelection as knocked at the pri-
vate door adjoining the plumbers shop,
for the shop itself was shut up, and there
were very few signs of business around
the premises. The door was opened by a
slovenly-looking woman, who took the
bill and read it.
''Well," said she, looking at me in a
very peculiar manner, "You are nice
II know it," said I, smiling compla-
| Gently, "Im very nice boy, and work
for Mr.. Macdonald"
"a uery nice boy" repeated the woman,
and now her sarcasm became perfectly
plain,-"when did you get out of New
gate? How do you like picking pockets +?
What do you mean, you young thief, by
coming here with your bills?" And with
and 1 went back to report in somewhat
melancholy frame Of mind, and told the
old man my story.
"You are very nice boy" said he, mot
to lose your temper and throw brick at
| her."
"IfI did that it would be wicked, SIR"
said.
Nevertheless said my master, ''one
of the first things to learn in a printing
Office is perseverance; so | will make out
a new bill and you shall go over again"
A little reluctantly, but pleased with
my masters flattery, l started once more.
| she took no notice of me, but called up
stairs, "Dick, Dick, come down." and
very soon that gentleman-the half
| drunken, dirty plumber-made his ap-
pearance at the end of the passage-way.
"Just look here" said the woman.
| pointing at me, "what nice, young jail
| bird old Mac has sent over now. Did ever
you see such villainous face?" AS she
said these words the man caught up a
broom that was standing near him, and
proceeded to ''go" for me; but as L went
considerably faster than he did, arrived
safely at Macdonald's again.
"Never mind" said the old gentleman,
with bland smile, ''you shall go again,
and say I'll send an officer. Never say
die, William; nothing like perseverance.
| You are very nice boy"
"Please, sir, don't want to 60 again" :"
L said.
"Then," said he, with horrible frown,
''then you won't be nice boy" | made
no further objection, but went at once.
AS | opened the door, who should | see
upon the sidewalk but the miserable
urchin who had opened the door to me at
| first. Not knowing what his feelings to-
wards me might be, l did not speak to
him, but he addressed me with easy IA
miliarity.
"'Ere," said he, "you boy, come 'ere,"
"Wot do you want?' said L, with stiff
reserve.
"Wot are you a-letting 'em make a
monkey of you for?" he inquired, with
pitiful disdain.
"Wot do you mean?" inquired, with
dignified curiosity.
why" said he, "they're making a
monkey of you-sending you over there
to get that money, which they knows
they'll never get it, which it's been ow-
ing IL years. They do it with all the new
"Wot can be done?" l inquired.
'"Take your vengeance" said the boy,
darkly, producing from his breeches-pock-
ct small, brass cannon, about six inches
long. "Take your aoengeance."
1t was too bad, but just at the moment
that the boy uttered, with stern emphasis,
the word "wengeance," the old man, who
had been watching us through the win
dow, suddenly opened the door and lug
ged the young man in by the collar of the
coat.
81 will teach you," said Mr.. NJ, ''to
corrupt such nice boy as that" And
he proceeded to teach him by means of a
strap.
Watching the writhing form of the
naughty boy for one brief moment, and
again rejecting what an excellent thing il
was to be a nice boy, departed again on
my mission. knocked at the plumbers
door once more, and waited some time for