The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-01-02
X.
A Christmas Story.
CHAPTER |.
GARRETT LODGING.

Garrett LODGING.
y was a very useful, as well as q tOlera-
bly, ornamental member Of society. Per
haps | should say he had been ornamental
when he was young; for 1t cannot be de-
MED that a. he grew old he grew ragged and
dirty. But this will stoutly maintain,
that his age and his grimy face made no
difference 10 people who knew his real
worth. All except the extremely fastidi-
GUS and foolish valued him as highly as
ever, and were sincerely glad to take him
by the hands. l mean their hands, not
his, fer \ was q ten dollar bill. Some
days they thought more of him thaA usual,
some days rather less-that depended on
their views about the value Of gold con-
should, in our estimation Of our acqnaint-
ances. But he was always welcome, there
Is no doubt Of that.
X was fellow of 9 rowing sort He
never stayed long in one place, but was al
ways changing his lodgings, going about,
as he said, doing good. But he asked no
praise for his benevolence. If 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 complimented him on
his quiet but innocent and benevolent 90
tivity, he would have said, no doubt, "blesa
you, my dear fellow, don't deserve any
thanks for that, 1t 10 my nature to do thla
sort Of thing. That's all l am good for.
can't keep up my circulation without it.
It's my constitutional exercise. A for
the generosity you seem to zee in my be-
havior, can't claim that. It's mere To-
gal tenderness Of character.
But if X had said all Of that to you
warrant you would not have thought any
the loss Of him. You would have regard
ed him, as everybody did, in the light Of q
benefActor, and you would have declared
there may be persons of more sterling
virtue, but they are not common. Give US
plenty like X and we will be always con.
tent.
At the time my story commences 4 had
lodgings that he didn't like. For an indi
vidual of his active habits to be coOped uE
in an old glove, the glove being in the toe
Of stocking, the stocking rolled up in q
\ towel and the towel tucked under q pile oi
night gowns and flannel things in the left
hand back corner Of the third trunl
Counting from the step-iadder and not in
cluding band boxes, soap-boXes, candle
boxes, or any other Of the many kind o.
little hoxes in Mrs. Joshua Homebody I
attic) was anything but pleasant To ex
plain the various history Of X would in
voIve long story, aud not the one NEAR
to tell.
Sufficient 70 say that Mrs. Joshua Home
/ koI., hal .,av.kaA hs.r nuk cf NJ Hou,a
bodv's pocket after Mr.. Homebody haC
been drawing his months salary, that she
marked him with ink in one corner, jus
under the head of Daniel Webster, SO as t
know him again if she lost him that IN,
had kept him about the house for weel
or so, hiding him every night in q new
place and looking him up every morning t.
make sure he hadn't run away With tn,
cook. Finally she read some frightfu
story in the newspaper about the grea
demand for him and a million more lik
him to move the crops out West, and tn,
great difficulty Of 6n6ing them when the.
were wanted.
When she asked Mr.. Homebody abou
the matter he said it was too true every
body wanted 'em at any price-but WON
en- couldn't understand such tLings, and al
she needed to know was that she musn'
come round him looking for another X, fo
he hadn't got any, and didn't know wher
he could get any il the present state o
things should continue; she had bette
hang on to what she had a. there was 60
ing TO be a panic, il she knew what tha
was. And anyhow, wouldn't she let hin
20 TO slesPi Did she expect . man va
lgeing % worry al day and talk about i .