The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-08-15

A. Told ny "a Very ConscicutI ous
Young Wan.

beware Oh plch pocket, repeated n
benevolent old gentleman as he glanced
at placard posted in the car i'm which mo-
was riding. Dear me, how sad that
such warning should be'uecessary IND "A
: Christian land.
eyes sir" said a young man next
/ him; "but it's best 10 be careful. for
there may be pickpockets in this very
car. | know all about that, sir. I've been
| rescued from the lowest depths. / WAS "a
/ pickpocket once, sir
"Dear me, said the old gentleman,
/ starting.
Pm respectable person now. Yes,
/ sir, | am very respectable. Ask anybody
about Jim Tlks, and they'll tell YOU that;
but | was brought up a thief / was
/ born among thieves, and took 90 tho
trade naturally, and | used TO pick peck
cts when | was ten Years old. You
needn't look at yours If you please,
sir, I've been r1nverted sure, and go 10
meeting regal ,r. You could trust mo
/ with untold gold now.
"Bu,, "a sud, / was a thief, and
might have been one vet If il hadn't been
for what happened at Rickady Station.
where | was sitting waiting for any OLD
lady's reticule, or any forgetful persons
handkerchief that might be dropped by
chance. For folks that's anxious about
gettin' on the right trains at the right
time, and nobody TO do anything but
snub 'em which is what the officials arc
apparently paid to do, amt rs careful of
their portable property as they should be
otherwise. When was wicked sinner
| used TO take advantage of that you
| l-p,,V ,,tt1.1r.'t "a
now-oh. no.
"But as | said, | was loungjug about
there, and in came q gentleman with Il
long basket. 1t was The curIoust basket
| ever saw. Had two handles and "a
paddock. Never saw such "a basket
There was cord about it, too. Ho put
it down in the corner rs he looked for his
pocketbook and he spokcd 10 gentleman
who was standing near and seemed 10
know him.
'''Got it, be said, and ITS cost mo
enough, / can tell you. But ] wanted
it for the collection couldn't DO without
it. SO proud of II brought it along my
2 self Whew five minutes only and Il
haven't any ticket, and he pushed to-
! wards the office.
J "The other man looked ut the basket
, minute and then walked away, and that
was my time. l crept mp TO the basket
and took it up and walked away in un-
5 other direction. Nobody noticed me.
e / didn't run, Of course, Just wont ont of
the station and down under the trees,
Y and what | meant TO DO was 30 take
D the valuables out Of it, and leave ID
. there.
r "Td made up my mind that 10 was
I something very valuable, but what IL
c be / couldn't guess. j took of the cord
first, and then / took the key that hung
a beside the paddock and unlocked that
+ and lifted up the cover little. just
; then there was n noise, and turned my
. head.
d "When / found il was nothing b. ba
= afraid of 1 turned back. / opened the
e cover wider and pceped In. but there was
nothing there, the basket was empty
r not a thing in 1t.
G why, gracious mo- says only
= not in them words was wicked sinner
" thon-'what does this mean2 An empty
u basket And what did no mean by talk
g ing Of its being valuable And there
) was running a risk for nothing.
r "a risk. / was done for, for nothing
!. for here were the police after me-; at
least Il big arm went round my waist, AN
of sudden like. and when ! jerIlcd it
only held me closer and what was that
another arm?
"Well, sir, ! thought should giyo ml
q that minute, for there and then / knew
that what was twisting about me was
something worse than even "a policeman
arm to such as | was then.
cit was "A snake-a great snake tho
l. kind they have in meuugeries. Boa COM
2 strictors yes, sir, that was tho kinda
o boa constructor; and now / remembered
5 the face Of the gentleman who had tho
r basket, he was a mcnagerio man, / had
l. stolen basket with a snake in it, aud ID
'e had slipped out when ] opened the cover,
# and now it had me.
o eight, sir, was the word for g. II,
J. was twisted around me until / had very
Sc little breath left, but with what i did
'e have l set up YELL Would you believe
It it, sir, the person that heard mo was that
s. menagerie man he was looking for a
n snake, ! suppose.
II Bless my heart. says he, when Doe
}, saw me, 'hlCs- my heart. Well, the bi.
= ter's bit, if iteyer happened. You stole
1t the basket my friend, and out Of II cams
Is the thief catcher No, keep still don't
It move for your life, There's just one
e chance for you.
e. "Says / hurry, please I'm choakiu.
o Gle did hurry. lie took n bottle ont
10 Of his pocket, and Out Of another he took
IA kind Of folding cup and opened IT, Then
if he poured something from the bottle in-
d 10 abe cup.
.r " Milk, says he, Il may tempt him
d away, If not, say your prayers, friend y
rs and tell you that was an anxious mos
n meut for nae.
Il ''At first 1 thought he had done for
is me, Tor tho snake only seemed tD twist
J., tighter but iu q minute the head pokel
TT out toward the cup, and felt him drop
ID of, and saw him c0ilod about the milk
( cup. Ididn't want 10 see him fed.
II went.
d "But it was a lesson for me. It put
r an end 10 my course OF wickcdness.
n This is my station. sir; good afternoon.
Il There isn't more respectable on moro
re honest young mar than l. am, living uowi
}, good afternoon"
y "A very curious story" said the OH
gentleman Every. But he's evidently
e a very conscientious young man now
y lie put his hand in his pocket for hIs
If handkerchief. II was gone, SD was hi1
a. purse. They had gone With the conscieu-
e tious young man.
u A ROME miss Of seven summers has
& concluded 10 marry a big man for her
a first husband and a little one for the SEQ
a ond, So that she can cut the clothes of the
& first down and make them over for hia
4 successor. Thus the hard times force
2, home lessons of rigid economy aud pruc-