Litchfield enquirer., 1877-09-27
asmErHuRsrsEs.R

|
 SMETauR -TsEs, mum-yes, mum. on ac-' counts of me bein'. Smethurst an. the wax
 works mine. Ffteeen year I've been ln l the business, an if live fifteen year more l shall have been in 1t thirty; for wax
 works is the kind of business as "a man gets used to and friendly with, after a
 manner. LOT bless you there's no tell
 in how much company them there wax works IS. I've picked companion or so
 ont of the collection. Why, there's Lady
 Jane Grey, as k readin' her Greek Testy- | rnent: when her works is in order an she's
 set a. -goin' ,Iher eyes gentle like from her
 book, I could fancy as she knew every trouble I'd had an was glad as they was
 over. And there's the Royal Family on the dais all settin' together as free and
 home. like and smilin' as if they wasn't
 nothin' more than flesh an blood like you
 an me an not crown among 'em. Why, they've actually been comfert to me: I've set an took my tea on my knee on
 the step there many a time, because it
 seemed cheerfuller than in my own little
 place at the back. If was talkin man 1 Ilmight ohiact tn fine stiffness an gener.
 al fixedness in the gaze, as perhaps IS an
 objection as wax-works is open to as
 rule, though I can t say as it ever impress | 6U me as 8 very, tdAtDAO kGueAe3A40A OAN0
 said it impressed him. | s.Smethurst." says he, ''you must have a blamed clear conscience (though, bein'
 rather free-spoken, blamed was not the
 precise word employed)-you must have l blamed clear conscience Or, Rmobiamed If
 you could stand so many blamed pair of
 staring eyes gimtltting you year in an Eyear out An as to them with works, 7"
 says he, 'sthsy're worse than the others.
 for even if they turn away minute they
 always turn back again. as if they would
 nit trust you out of their sight" i 7--3As4
 But somehow, I never thought of 1t in
 that way, an as to not liking the quiet.
 why shouldn't Iii? In a general way
 haven't got no more to say than they have,
 and s it suits me we'll enough. will
 owh though, as I've neye felt particular
 comfortable in the Chamber of Horrors,
 an never would nt have had one, but even
 in small collection like mine the public
 demands it, an wouldn't hear of bein' sat- isfied without one, ''for" says they,
 s'what's the use of wax-works without Manning an them. an the prisoners in
 the dock an the knife as the young wo-
 man as cup up in pieces with ?" So I was obliged to have the little back room 1 hung with black, like Madame Tussaud's
 in small way, and fitted upMith mur- 1 ders and a model of the guiilotine and two
 or three heads of pa ties as come to un- timely end in the French Revolution. But it aint my taste for all that. and there's always heaviness in the air ss makes me
 low-like an I'm glad to turn the key on
 lem at night an leave lem to have rest l their sin, an the shame an agony of their dreadful deaths. Good Lord it turns
 me sick to think of them havin' been real livin' creatures with mothers an wives an friends, someof 'sm perhaps livin' to-day all crushed an blasted with the horror
 they ve ent through.
 I But that aiut the story as I've half f,way
 promised to tell yon. If you really want to hear it, mum, I don't mind tellin it, though don't know as it will be interest in'-I've often wondered if it would be as interestin' to outsiders as it was to me, beln' as it's the story of friend of mine as was something like me an likewise had a wax-works. Would you mind settin' there, num- next to the Japanese party Thus lady's works was broke an her bein' absent at the cleaners leaves the chair va- cant most convenient.
 His name it was Joe this acquaintance of mine, an as I said. he was somethin' of my build an temper. He was 8 quiet chap an lonely chap, an London was
 his native place-leastways, l don't see as it could have been no nativer than it was,
 bein' as be was laid at the door of a Lon- don foundin' when he wasn't no more than few days old, and London fed him and clothed him until he was big enough to take care of hissef. He hadn't a easy e. <>F ", lxo
 handsome nor yet sharp, he couldn't an- swer back nor yet give cheek; he could on- ly take it, which he had to do frequent.
 There was plenty of folks as give him
 the character of nat'ral born fool. an they may have been right. They said as no chap as had his right senses could be as good-natured an ready to forgive in jury an above all as slow to suspect as one was hein' done him. Il think they thought his bein' to slow suspect harm goin' on was the best proof of his bein' fool and he wasn't ready enough with
 his tongue to argy the point. He wasn't never good at argyment-J @ wasn't, .4 We'll, he growed up. an he did first one thing an then another, until at least he was picked up by 6 ttavelin' wax-works snowman as had just such a collection as this here of minerhavip' in it just .such,a Lady Lane Grey. and likewise 3 similar Royal Fam ly s:Well, !" says the wax works man, when Joe first goes to ask for work, t'what can you do ?'' #.sf 1z8a tnzud haa sis '..Not much. perhaps" says Joe; ''least- ways, I've not been in the business before;
 but if you Il give me a job. Mister, can do what I'm told.'' a'ta4sat, fsag oei4 si
 The snowman gives him look from head to foot. 4.-.s.zt, ..I.' -. .......-.'.
 We'll says he tat ali events, we you're not one of them blarsted sharp uns as knows everything an can't dust a fgger
 without kpockin' its head of. I've had enough of them sort t'-sayage like a-settin, Mary Queen O Scottsesi insides all wrong" (which was what his last young man had been a-doin0 .....,,,x.s.,es ,aas,rs. Fi "No." answers Joe, slow an. serious. ''I don't think as I'd do that" saAs i.Ca ! The snowman gives him another look. an seems sort of satisfied. s sst..yoss: :..5 "a ''Go inside an get your dinner" he says. I'll try you just because you
 haven't got so much cheek" 6sas # q And he did try him, an pretty we'll they got on together after a, while !. Slowness is not objection in a wax-works as much l as in a business as is less delicater.b I've thought myself as p'r'aps wax-works has their feslin's. an knows who means re- spec'ful by 'em an who doesn'. an this
 Joe meant respec' full, an' never took no
 liberties as he could help. He dusted lem reglar. an, wound a'em mp lan' set lem lgoin' accordin' to rules: but he never tri- ed no larks on 'em, an that was why he gets along 90 we'll with his master. a.A | 'iThat other chap was too fond of his
 larks. says that shownan. kind of gloom whenever he mentions the first young
 man. He never forgave him to the day of
 his death for openino the collection one
 day with, Charles the Sscondses helmet on Mrs. Hannah Mooreses head. an. Daniel
 in the Lions Den in William gPennses
 brellamnder his arm. aiiw an-d4 goIag9s ! l. But Joe weren of a witty turn, an not