Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-24
Sc ky
A Christmas story.
I.-GARRRT LODGINGS.

I.-GARRET LODGINGS.
X was very useful, as well as a tolerably
ornamental, member OF society. Perhaps |
should rather say he had been ornamental
when he was young; for it cannot be denied
that as he grew old he grew ragged and dirty.
But this / will stoutly maintain, that his age
and his grimy face made no difference to people
who knew his real worth. All except the ex-
tremely fastidious and foolish valued him as
highly as ever, and we're sincerely glad to
take him by the hand. mean their hands,
not his; for x was a ten-dollar bill! Some
days they thought more Of him than usual,
some days rather less; that depended on their
views about the value of gold-a eonsidera-
ton which affects us more than 1t should, in
our estimation of our acquaintance. But
he was always welcome, there Is no doubt OF
that. -..... ......
X was fellow of rowing sort. He never
stayed long In one place, but was always chang
ing his lodgings, going about, as he said,
doing good. But he asked no praise for his
beneyolenee. II you had seen him at work
buying coal and clothing for the poor, or
books and flowers for the rich, paying debts,
giving employment to laborers, running In
and out OF banks on business, and had com
plimented him on his quiet but incessant and
benefcent activity, he would have said, no
doubt: BLESS you, my dear fellow, don't
deserve any thanks for that. 1t is my nature
TO do this sort of thing. That's all am good
for. / can't keep up my circulation without
it. It's my constitutional exercise. As for
the generosity you seem to see in my beha-
vior, 1 can't claim that. It's mere legal-ten-
derness Of character" But II X had said all
that to YOU warrant you would not have
thought any the less Of him. You would have
regarded him, as everybody did, In the light OF
a benefactor; and you would have declared:
:" There may be persons OF more sterling value,
but they are not common. Give us plenty
like and we will he CONTENT
At the time my story commences X had
lodgings that he didn't like. For an individ-
ual of his active habits to be cooped up In an
old glove, the glove being in the toe OF a
stocking, the stocking rolled up In towel,
and the towel tucked under pile OF night
gowns and flannel things In the left-hand
back corner of the third trunk Counting
from the step-ladder and not including band
boxes, candle. boxes or soap-boxes I'm Mrs.
Joshua HomebOdy's attic, was anything but
pleasant. To explain the previous history OF
x would involve a long story and not the one
mean TO tell Sufficient to say that Mrs.
Joshua Homebody had invited him out OF Mr..
Homebody's pocket after Mr.. Homebody had
been drawing his months salary; that she
had marked him with ink In one corner, Just
under the head of Daniel Webster, so as TO
know him again II she lost him; that she had
kept him about the house for week or 80,
hiding him every night in new place and
iOOklDk uiku up III tuC w n"NS
that he hadn't run away with the COOK. FL
nally she read some frightful story in the even
ing paper about the great demand Tor MIN
and million more like him to move the crops
out West, ard the great difficulty OF finding
them when they were wanted When she
asked Mr.. Homebody about the matter ne
said 1t was too true; everybody wanted EN- q,
any price; but women couldn't understand
such things, and all she needed TO know was
that she mustn't come round him looking Tor
another X; for he hadn't got any, and dldn't
know where he could get any If the pre- sen
state OF things should continue; she b a bet
ter hang ON to what she had there was gong
to be panic, If she knew what tnaI
was; and anyhow, ,ooutdnt she iet
him go to sleepy Did she expect man
was going to worry all day and talk about IL
all mighty The result Of it was that Mrs.
Homebody. being prudent woman, arose 10
the morning. took X out of her slipper where
he had passed chilly night, and buried him
in the garnet in the manner already descripea'
Whether she understood finance or not sne
behaved just like fnaneier In panic:
VIVA, was her precise object she did not
know; in which point also she resemtied lhe
tnanc,ers in general Perhaps II reporter
had interviewed her on the garnet stairs anu
had not been mistaken for bui giar--a GAN
ger to which enterprising reporters are ire