The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-05-26
THE TWO JONESES.
A STORY OF ST. DAYID'S DAY.
CHAPTER 1.

1t was the 1st of March, in the year
of grace 1S--. In q merchants Office,
not far from Cheapside, little man sat
at D high desk, trying hard, apparent.
ly TO keep one eye ON the rows eff fig
ures before him.. and the other on
the office. clock. Failing in this, his
gances travelled from the one to the
other with pendulum likereguarity. At
last the clock struck the wished,fOr
hour of six; and the little man shut the
ledger with bang, and after locking it
up carefully in the ollice.saf dashed
into a dark cupboard, and began has
ty but careful toilet, involving great
splashing OF water, and much violent
exercise with stumpy nail brush.
Evan Jones was nominally managing
clerk, and really general factUtum, to
the firm of Berwick & Brown, hard
wood merchants. He was fifty years
of age, short, fat, and good natured,
though little peppery at times. lie
lad numerous family, whom he found
it anything but easy to feed and bring
up on his modest salary of fifty shllings
a week. With strict economy, however,
he managed just to make both ends
meet. Not for him were the breezy
sands of Ramsgate, or the chestnut
avenues of Hampton Court. Not for
him were the mild Havana or the fra
grant cigarette. He had no vices and
desired no luxuries. One indulgence
alone, in the course of the year, did he
permit himself. He was Welshman
to the backbone, and herein lay his one
extravaganza. Come what might. and
however depressed the condition of the
domestic money market, he was always
present at the dinner of the Omitted
Welshman" on st. David's Day. The
necessary guinea was to Jones as much
as hundred to many of the other
guests who assembled at the banquet
in questiOn--a sum to be saved and
scraped together by infinite sacrifice
! aud elf.denial. But
Though back and sides 80 bare,
! TlOuu Ii hands ana feet 20 co d."
as the old song says, scraped together
it must be, by hook or by crook. For
nearly a week prior to the present oc-
| casion, Evans dinner had consisted of
a saveloy and penny roll; and on the
day of our story he had taken no food
whatever since his frugal breakfast, in
tending to compensate himself hand.
somely for his abstinence at the expense
of the Omitted Welshmen." He had,
in truth, gone so long without food as
| to f, el little eXhausted; but he con-
soed himself with the thought of the
splendid appetite he should carry to the
festive board; and having at last com-
pleted his toilet, he shut up the Office,
and started fOT the hOstelry where the
dinner was TO be held, feeling at least
six feet high, and humming Ar hyd y
nos with patriotic energy.
At almost the same moment when
Evan Jones started or his Journey, a
tall, handsome man i'll iaultless evening
attire, stepped out of West end man.
sion, outside of which brougham was
waiting. A graceful little lady, with a
bright girlish face, accompanied him tC
the hall door,
"You won't be very late, Owen, will
yOu?' she said cOaxingly.
mot very early, l am afraid, pet
We 'Welshmen' are rare fellows fol
keeping it up; and if | came away be
fore all the national toasts had beer
duly honored. L should never hear tht
last of it,"
Every well, dear; then suppose
mustn't expect you till l see you.
hope you will have pleasant evening
Don't take too much wine," she con
tlnued, laughingly.
Cant answer for myself on such al
OCCASION" her husband responded
THE - Tavern" he said to tn,
coachman; aud kissing his hand to hi
wife, in few moments was whirled GU
of sight.