The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-05-23
THE TWO JONESES.
STORY OF sr DAvID.s DAY
From the London Society,"
CHAPTER /.

1t was the 1st of March, in the year of
grace IS. In merchants office, not
far from Cheapside, a little man sat at a
high desk, trying hard, apparently, to
keep one eve on the rows of figures De-
fore him and the other on the office
clock. Failing in this, his G lances trav-
eled from one side to the other with pen
dulum like regularity. A last the clock
struck the wished-for hour of six; and
the little man shut the big ledger with
bang, AMI after locking it up carefully
In the office safe dashed into IA dark cup
board, and began hasty but careful
toilet, involving great splashlng OF water
and much violent exercise with stumpy
nailbrush. Evan was nominally manag-
ing clerk, and really general tactotum,
to the firm Of Berwick ~ Brown, hard
wood merchants He was fifty years
of age, short, fat and goodnatured, though
little peppery at times. He had nu-
merous family, whom he found it any
thing but easy to feed and bring up on
his modest salary of 80 shilling week.
With strict economy, however, he man
aged Just to make both ends meet. Not
for him were the breezy sands of Rams
gate, or the chestnut avenues of Hampton
Court. Not for him were the mild Hav-
ana on the fragrant cigarette. lie had
no vices and desired no luXuries. One
indulgence alone in the course of the
year did he permit himself. He was a
Welshman to the back bone, and herein
lay his one extravaganza. Come what
might, and however depressed the con-
dition of the domestic money market, he,
was always present at the dinner OF the
Omitted Welshmen" on St. Ddvid's Day.
The necessary guinea was to Jones as
much as a hundred to many of the other
guests who assembled at the banquet in
question: sum to be saved and scraped
together by infinite sacrifice and self de-
NAL. But
sSThou"h back and sides go bare,
Though hands an feet go cold,'
as the old song says, scraped together it
must be, by hook or crook. For nearly
week prior to the present occasion,
Evans dinner had consisted Of q savelOy
and penny roll; and on the day of our
story he had taken no food whatever
since his frugal breakfast, intending to
compensate himself handsomely for his
abstinence at the expense Of the "United
Welshmen." He had, in truth, gone so
long without food as to feel a little ex
hausted; but he consoed himself with
the thought of the splendid appetite he
should carry to the festive board and
having at last completed his toilet he
shut up the office, and started for his
hosiery where the dinner was to be held,
| feeling at least six feet high, and hum
ming Ar hgd g nos with patriotic energy.
At almost the same moment when
| Evan Jones started on hisjourney, a tall,
| handsome man, in faultless evening attire,
stepped out of West end mansion, out
side or which a brougham was waiting.
A graceful little lady, with bright girl
ish face, accompanied him to the hall
| door.
"You won't be very late, Owen, will
your" she said, cOaxingly.
''Not very early, | am afraid, pet.
We 'Welshmen' are rare fellows for
keeping it up; and if / came before all
| the national toasts had been duly honor
ed, | should never hear the last of it. ="
every we'll, dear then / suppose |
mustn't expect you till see you. [ hope
you will have a pleasant evening. Don't
take too much wine" she continued
laughingly.
Clint answer TOR myself on such an
OCCASION" her husband responded. "The
-Travern," he said to the coach
man and kissing his hand to his wife,
In a few moments was whirled out of
sight.
CHAPTER H.
The Omitted Welshmen" had finished
| their dinner, and had made considerable
wore attached to his button-hole a Won
derful composition of green and white
satin and silver filagree, which was sup
posed (by dint or making believe very
much indeed) to represent the 'leek''
sacred to the occasion. A perfect
hurricane of ms and ms and p's and Is
and as flew about the room, only
ceasing for few moments when the
chairman rose to Prqpqse a toast,
or the bards at the far end Of the ban
quet hall tuned their harps for some
Cambrian melody. Evan Jones was
seated at the festive board, but alas, nc
longer tie spick-and- span Evan Jones
who had but couple Of hours earlier left
the office of Messrs. Berwick Il Brown
His carefully brushed hair was now rough
and disheveled, his face red, his shirt
front limp and crumpled, his -utterance
thick, and his general appearance that OF
a gentleman who has dined 8" not wisely
but too we'll" Poor Evan had been by
no means immoderate in his rotations,
but he had so weakened himself by lone
fasting, that the little he had taken had
an exaggerated effect upon him, and he
was rapidly becoming argumentative, moi
to say pugnacious. It was an article Of
faith with him, even in his sober mo
ments, that he was in some mysterious
way connected with the last of the
Welsh kings, and in his present elevated
condition this idea took possession of his
mind with redo4hled emphasis. He had
, more than once commenced a sentenced
; beginning, CAS- 'scendant of Llewellyn,
, but without getting any further. At tht
second failure his left-hand neighbor, to
whom the observation was addressed, re
piled profanely. 20, blow Llewellyn 7
! Evan Jones Locked at him for a momen
t with an expression of immeasurable scorr
: and disgust, and then turned to his right
) hand neighbor; IS a deshendaht o
D IlewellYn, pears to He-as a 'seendap
of Llewellyn =" and then stopped again