, 1874-12-27
B0GGLEBERRY'S W00ING.

B0GGLEBERRY'S W00lNG.
| Fsun. 1faszeys' Aa2arzr.
| Whist, you never heard Of Bogg1cberry? 4
! few years since he Was one Of the foremost men
Of his time especially in his native parish, St.
Patrick the Verdant and the influence he pos
sessed WAS enormous. The exertions OF Nichol-
as Boggleber1y ought to have left an inde1ble
| mark upon tho calendar Of time and that they
have not done so is only another proof of the
mutabiity Of human greatness.
BY trade he WAS an oif-and-color~man, but by
inclination and practice vestrynan; one Of tho
very first water too. Not that his duties -
member Of the assessment, the sewers, and
paving committees engrossed the whole Of his
attention; no, he had finger in nearly all the
parish pies. He was chuschwarden, he WAS
on tho Board Of Guardians. be ras Trustee OF
the penny clothing fund, he was the Secretary
(Hon. Of coursc) OF the society for supplying
the benishted female natives OF Fiji with tooth
brushes and. chignons, he Was an auditor OF the
district coal club he Was one OF the borough
champions OF Liberalism, and as such found q
good deal Of work to do for the party )" be was
Past Grand Master Of tho Hearts-Are-T -Trumps
Lodge OF Odd Fellows, he was ranger OF the
Nothing-Like-Lcather Court Of Foresters. he
was Chairman of the Bricks-and-Mortar Build
iug Society; in short, It would ho easier to set
down the prominent Offices Bogglcberry did not
hold in the parish than those he did. The claims
upon bis time and attention were as varied as
they were numerous: but he seemed born for
parish work, and, throwing his whole soul into
his duties, became one Of the no.t celebrated
men In the Testrr.
Remarkable rs it may appear, the worthy oil
mans labors did not meet with general approval.
A section OF those who pretended to know him
well ayerred that Nick Bogglebelry Was busy
body and as sucu ought to be put down another
section said the man must bo d fool to neglect
bis business Us he did; whilst third (and, per-
haps. moro far-seelng) set asserted that Boggle-
berrya cxerhons were not quito go dislntere5tcd
a. tlev appeared; inasnluch os he had coutrived
to obtain few nice llttlo contracts for supplying
the district workhouso with the bcs. notified
soap, rice, starch, and candles. and was anxious
{to sumor saidD to Sc: some moro. These state-
meats were of course dictated solely by jealous
envy; but when the great vestryman had attain
cd the height Of his ambition, you might IA we'll
have tined to pull down the Monument with
wisp Of straw, or attempt to blow up the Royal
Exchange with = halfpenny cracker. as reduce
him to tho level OF his detractors. Bogg1eberry
keep it !; ho had studied parish iaw until he knew
tand could almost quotc) every clause and Sec
ton OF the more recent acts. LIE had the sani-
tary laws q. his fingers euds; in union charge
ability he was well yersed, aud the complex
questions OF local taxation he had thorough
ly mastered. Ii there was n deputa-
ton to wait upon the Chancellor OF
the Exchequer, the Home Secretary, OF the First
Commissioner of Works. BoEgleberry was inya-
1laby ore OF iis leaders; and such importance
IN 1aa il, n
nght of way across the cow-yard OF refractory
dairyman, that he had been made the subject OF
leading articles in the Friday FRYING pan ami
Sunday Settler. He often ignored 1indloy AIur-
ray. but generally contrlyed to crush for time
those who conspizcd against him; some people
said lis oratorical victories vere gained By
abuse, accompanied by liberal admlxtnre Of
which tongue the GILMAN WAS
certainly an accomplished master; but, be this as
it may, the result VAS the same as though he
had used the choicest flowers of rhetoric, and
was man who looked st results
Happily his business Was an exceedingly pros
porous one. In his fathers time the shop had
been so carefully looked after that now it needed
hut ittle supervision and from his carly youth
the aspiring Nicholas had felt that hlghsr dcs-
tiny than the mere vending OF turps. dips, soaps,
and pickles lay before him. Accordingly, when |
at the tender age Of five and-forty, he became |
an orphan, he advertised for q managing man, !
md was fortunate IL meeting with Thomas |
fellow, who had a couple Of yearB previously |
been bitten by taking business in q new neigh |
borhood, where inhabitants werc at premium |
and waste land at discount. He was single, |
had no membranes in the saape OF depend |
mt mother or sister; and furthermore, had |
stlu remaining in the hank small reserve fund
80, accepting the limited salary offered flor |
Bogglebcrry, when his own pocket was concerned, |
Ferrars forwlth became installed in his new situ-
4tion. He lived upon tho premises. was found /
% be trustworthy, seemed to have proper ap-
,reciation OF his masters parochial importance |
.ud moral and intellectual attainments. and alto
,ether proved source OF satisfaction to that
ocal functiouary.
IN this world there arc few things without al
oy. and in the oyerlowing cup Of the great Bog
,leberry there was one drop Of bitterness that !
eened to taiut all tho rest: his appearance WAS
lot prepossess1nG, and he kne" It, BossleberIy
vas extremely small Of stature, but exceedingly
latter being one result OF the many |
cstry iollifcaslons provided at the expense OF
he parish. 30 vulgar critics maintained. His
Ioad would hare been entirely destitute OF hair |
mt for tho few stray locks which eprouted just
boye and in rear OF his cars; his features were
8 irregular as features could be, and his nose was
cquirins rich nelloWness OF hue that suffered
o.diminutlon in tint by tho daily liba:ions OF
ruity port which he WAS compelled to take, it
eed scarcely bo eaid by his doctors 8 orders. in
1der that his system might bear up against the
eavy demands upon it. His legs. too, were out
I ali comparison nth his huge body !; they were
hort, epindly, and, about the region Of the
alves. OF cdd shapes; go that this shining light
the parish to an irrererant eye. might be said
. bear resemblance to T. battered and decaTed
umpkin, into IN extremity OF which 4 couple
t"igs had been thrust.
Now Nicholas Boegleberry, like many another
Use man before him. had the misfortune to fall
l love. Once no had thought hlmaetf superior
, such folly; but in fatal moment
nnis Bond, the draper'a daughter,
sme. saw, and conquered. His enslaver vas
bout the last person one would have thought
apable OF seizing his matured affections. II
omo Clytemncstra, Queen Eleanor, Catherine
e dedlcis, Margaret Of Anjou, Mrs. Manning,
+ any other lady OF reputed uncomfortable will,
nd pounced upon potr Bogglebcrry. his captivl-
, would have been less surprislnE. But to think
lat a fair-haired. blue-eyed frolicsome lass, who
I'D but just passed her 21st year, should SO CON-
lete1v shear the locks Of tl,e local Samson, Was
circumstance almost unparalleled nlts absurdi-
:. BcggebcEry felt hts weakness; but, as ho
.mnrkcd to Nlr. FerEars in the privacy Of this lit
o parlor at the rear Of the shop, it WAS not
rcry one who could realize the extent of Helens |
,huenco in that memorable affair at Troy