The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-12-06
An Old Man BaseIy Deceived.
[Cincinnati Breakfast Table.

He was a childlike and bland looking
old man, and said he owned a big farm
near McGonagle's Station. He had never
been away from home much, and after a
life of hard toll had come to the conclu-
sion he would see a little something of
the world. and so had come down to the
CITY for that purpose. He was going to
make day of it, and carry home some
thing to talk about if it cost him three
dollars. He bought quart of chest
nuts to start on, and gave boy nlckle |
and two red apples TO pilot him up to
the fountain.
"Tve hearn O. that good many |
times" he said to the boy as he sat |
down on the edge of the esplanade and
began being sociable with the chestnuts,
" but drat me, never thought it looked
like that. The ole woman an me has
argyed about it time an agin, she stlckin'
up that it was rooted over with clap
boards to keep the rain out, and looked
a good deal like a greenhouse she saw
one time, 'ceptin' that the flowers was
mostly pond lilies, an me beatin' her
down that it was a kind O free baptism
place with pool in the middle of it
the bigness of our barn, with arrange
ments for warmin' the water in the
winter. But, consarn me, how things
| does change when you set your eyes on
'em onest. What's the sense OF the con-
traption, anyhow"
"Oh, its to show off the hard 'uns the
cops has bounced, an look purity" said
! the bow You wouldn't b'lieye how
nice it shines out in pictur'."
eyes, 1 s'pose so; but hang me if l
see the sense in goin' to all this expense
| = Il ,1iotuv, DOME
it mean anything? Who's that gal on
top O the contrivance with the leaky
fingers?'
''That's the Goddess O. Liberty" said
the boy. "They've got her in the work
'ouse now for stealin' four shirts"
"An' who's that son O. Belzebug there
at the corner, tryin' to strangle that
tortle?
"Oh, that's a feller that killed his
wife down on Sassage Row, with a razor.
They sent him up for seven years." said
the boy, as he took fresh handful OF
chestnuts.
CAN who's that honest lookin' farmer
there, by the plow, with the torn shirt,
an the dog that looks as though he'd
struck fresh rabbit track" said the old
man feasting on the view, with his chin
in his hand.
"That's a granger from Indiana, who
come down here an bucked the tiger
an had to sell the dog to raise tin
/ enough to get home," replied the boy
with a look of candor as frank as {
postage stamp.
An who's that gal who seems to b
persuadin' the old man, who pears tx
7 be dead-set on cleanin' out a saucer O
molasses to drop it an tackle glass o
t beerW inquired the rural man, as h
e got up and started to walk around.
L "That's a bad woman who drowned
e herself by iumpin' off the suspension
L bridge last week." replied that wicke'
n boy with a placid face. ''She phone
J nine families"
CAN who's that with the blacksmith
5 apron on and butter frkin under hi
:! arm holdin' up his hand to keep tn
|, water out of his eyes?' asked the coun
g tryman, pointing with his cane to tn
figure on the western side.
q "That's a feller who got mad caus
$; his hydrant froze up last winter, al
It burnt his house down." coolly replic
I, the youthful disciple of Ananias. " He
q poundin' hot iron in the penitentiar
- now"
~ "What a precious lot O scalawas
le they are," said the honest old grange
g "Who's this scandalous-loobin' woma
Z and child, so onshamefully carele
~ ~ about their clothes?'' he asked puttir
n n on his glasses to look at the group {
~ the east side.
zs ze "That's Rat Row gal runnin' avs
w. with Charley Ross,' said the wickt
~ boy. ''They've never cotched eth
he he one Of 'em, an us boys thinks she
le hidin' him in some cellar down in Buc
&c &c town, where she'll keep him till
u grows up an then marry him for |
- daddy's money. She's the worst in t
Ie he gang, an if the cops ever git their cla'
IL, ne on her they're a goin' to roast her, a
i II then shoot her from cannon over
ng nG the barracks. Got any more chestnuts
eo and the boy gave a whistle through /
nc nc fingers that brought an answering &c
an an from every bootblack on the square.
en- The old man had seen enough of t
ier ie wickedness of city life. He drew
La5 al heavy sigh, remarking that no MAJ
- y! life was safe, and gave the boy anotE
el1 nickle to take him back to the deI
~ ~ and put him on the first train for hon